Cambridge uni lab plans set for approval

Plans to knock down part of a Cambridge University aerodynamics laboratory that was built in the 1970s to make way for a new state-of-the-art facility more than double its current footprint are set to get the go-ahead.Whittle Laboratory is located on the eastern side of JJ Thomson Avenue and southern side of Madingley Road and currently is occupied by a research facility for turbomachinery aerodynamics.The land earmarked for development is a 3.2-acre portion of the West Cambridge site, a major new academic campus covering 163 acres between Madingley Road and the M11.Under the plans, about 11,440 sq ft of the laboratory’s existing 30,500 sq ft of floorspace would be demolished.The proposed new building will house the National Centre for Propulsion and Power (NCPP) laboratory and offices.It will provide almost 45,800 sq ft of D1 floorspace, along with associated infrastructure. The existing high and low speed laboratories will be retained with continued operation and a new substation will be constructed to the east of the existing buildings.Once complete, the new Whittle Laboratory could span almost 65,000 sq ft.A document published ahead of a Cambridge City Council planning meeting later this week (17 June) has recommended the scheme for approval.