£200,000 refurbishment programme at Arbury Court set to begin

A £200,000 IMPROVEMENT project for the public areas at Arbury Court local centre is due to begin later this month.

Funded under Cambridge City Council’s local centre improvement programme, the public space around the shops at Arbury Court will be refurbished, with work scheduled to start on 19 March and finish by the end of June.

The scheme draws on feedback from a public consultation undertaken last year, supported by 78% of respondents, and will provide the following public space improvements:

• Upgraded street furniture and planting;
• Improved signage, including information panels;
• Improved lighting;
• New surfacing;
• Improvements to entrance points to the centre, and
• A woodland-themed design.

Following approval for the improvement project a procurement exercise was held and Cambridgeshire-based company, Manit Contractors Ltd were appointed to carry out the work.

The scheme at Arbury Court forms part of a wider programme of public realm improvements funded by the council. This takes in two other local retail centres, with work at Cherry Hinton High Street completed in 2016, and plans for Mitcham’s Corner to be developed.

Cllr Anna Smith, Executive Councillor for Streets and Open Spaces, said: “The refurbishment of Arbury Court local centre will be welcomed both by retailers and by the local residents who find the facilities there so useful.

“The improvements are designed to make the whole area more attractive and welcoming to visitors. We also want to make the public space more environmentally-friendly through good use of landscaping.

“Cambridge is more than the city centre. The council is committed to maintaining and improving local centres, like the one at Arbury Court, which do so much to provide a focal point for Cambridge’s neighbourhoods.”

In addition Cambridgeshire County Council is providing funding for the creation of improved cycling facilities in the area, including an upgraded and widened crossing point over Arbury Road into Arbury Court.