Cambridge North Parking

[wagnaga]

Cambridge North has now developed a parking problem. A number of rows of parking have been allocated as "reserved" as you enter the car park with signage pointing to the front of the car park for general parking. The only problem when people arrived at lunchtime today there was a lack of any free parking spaces.

Does anyone know who these reserved parking spaces are for and if there is any intention on expanding the car park?

 

[ylangextra]

I have received a ticket for parking on the road along the side of the parking bays. The car park is no longer fit for purpose. I will write to GA and local MPs . As a brand new station it is very disappointing that GA did not consider the issue. The staff at the station are very supportive

 

[The exile]

Cambridge North has now developed a parking problem. A number of rows of parking have been allocated as "reserved" as you enter the car park with signage pointing to the front of the car park for general parking. The only problem when people arrived at lunchtime today there was a lack of any free parking spaces.

Does anyone know who these reserved parking spaces are for and if there is any intention on expanding the car park?

I would imagine that arriving at a station car park in the southeast at lunchtime and not finding anywhere to park was the normal state of affairs prior to March 2020.

 

[wagnaga]

I have received a ticket for parking on the road along the side of the parking bays. The car park is no longer fit for purpose. I will write to GA and local MPs . As a brand new station it is very disappointing that GA did not consider the issue. The staff at the station are very supportive

Useful to know. Most of the time when I go to London for work it is for an entire day so parking isn’t too much of an issue but occasionally I have afternoon meetings only so will have to travel earlier and try and kill the time.

I would imagine that arriving at a station car park in the southeast at lunchtime and not finding anywhere to park was the normal state of affairs prior to March 2020.

This car park wasn’t anywhere near as bad until they gave over a decent amount of parking to one of the tenants unconnected with the railway. It is frustrating because there is no alternative parking anywhere near by. The car park either needs extending or converted to a double decker.

 

[beeceegee]

Thanks to a major screw-up today on the Thameslink services from Royston I had occasion to use Cambridge North car park for the first time (been there before but only for pickup / dropoff)

Neither of us noticed any "reserved parking" bays or signs; did see a dozen or so cars parked along the exit road. Fortunately we spotted someone pulling out of a bay at the station end of the car park so zipped quickly into that.

From posts above it seems the reserved parking is at the entrance end, not the hotel / station end?

All this means that Cambridge North is not a viable option. Although I noticed that Royston station itself was (unusually) quite full today; unless you don't mind squeezing into narrow bays between a couple of huge SUVs

 

[ian1944]

unless you don't mind squeezing into narrow bays between a couple of huge SUVs

As well as height barriers at the entrance, public car parks should have then for width.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Can anyone local explain what/who the ‘tenants’ are? Are the tenants within the GA station lease area too or just ‘their’ reserved parking?

 

[wagnaga]

Can anyone local explain what/who the ‘tenants’ are? Are the tenants within the GA station lease area too or just ‘their’ reserved parking?

The tenant was Samsung I believe. In the building opposite the station that also houses the Co-op.

When I went a few weeks ago the signage for most of their spaces had been covered up and returned to general use. Hopefully that remains as in a few weeks I have a late meeting in London and need to park at the station.

 

[Train0fraught]

I have received a ticket for parking on the road along the side of the parking bays. The car park is no longer fit for purpose. I will write to GA and local MPs . As a brand new station it is very disappointing that GA did not consider the issue. The staff at the station are very supportive

We have also received a PCN having no choice but to park along the side of parking bays on 14 November. We drove around for several minutes trying to find a bay but there were none available which meantwe had no choice but park where many others had at side of bays in order to catch our train. The general parking available is totally inadequate and the 'Faceless' NCP don't care about their customers and obviously see the situation as an easy money making scheme. We will be contacting our MP and GA.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @bspahh to update

 

[bspahh]

Cambridge News has a story about plans for a multi storey car park at Cambridge North:

Multi-storey car park with more than 600 spaces planned next to Cambridge rail station​

The developers hope the car park will be 'cost effective' and 'sustainable'​

A multi-storey car park with over 600 spaces could be built next to a Cambridge train station. Chesterton Partnership has proposed to build a three-storey car park with 618 spaces on land north of Cowley Road in Cambridge.
The plans form part of the Cambridge North development. If approved, plans said the car park will provide a “strategically located parking infrastructure”.
The applicants added: “This arrangement establishes a clear and legible search pattern for drivers, improving wayfinding, reducing potential vehicle conflicts, and enhancing overall safety within the deck environment.”
The car park is proposed next to Cambridge North train station. It is also within walking distance of a number of business parks, including Cambridge Business Park, the Sunningdale Caravan Park, St John’s innovation park, and Nuffield Road industrial estate.

The developers also hope the car park will be more “cost effective” and “sustainable”. On the levels there will be 150 spaces each on level one, two, and three.
On the ground floor, there will also be 150 spaces, EV charging spaces, and accessible spaces. A 'wild park' and kiosk are also proposed on the car park site.

The applicants added: “This southern Pocket Park is conceived as a vibrant meeting point, fostering connections between Cambridge North users and reinforcing the cluster of economic activity within the area.

“The introduction of a kiosk within the southern Pocket Park, alongside enhanced planting, improved pedestrian routes and carefully considered junctions, supports increased natural surveillance and urban greening within this northern section of the development.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

Cambridge News has a story about plans for a multi storey car park at Cambridge North:

Is this in addition to the existing car park, or building over it ?

 

[dk1]

And to think many never expected to see the car park there even half full in the early years of opening and of course with the effects the pandemic had on commuting. It’s been so good to see how well used it’s become over the last couple of years. Maybe a raised deck will be required at some point.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Mar 2026 ==

Update - Just seen the plans for the multi-storey.

 

[bspahh]

Is this in addition to the existing car park, or building over it ?

The current ground level car park has 374 spaces. The proposal is for 3 storeys with 618 spaces, so would be a bit over half the current space. I assume it would be instead of, rather than as well as the current one.I assume it would be instead of, rather than as well as the current one. I haven't seen the plans, so I don't know exactly where the new car park would be.

 

[dk1]

The current ground level car park has 374 spaces. The proposal is for 3 storeys with 618 spaces, so would be a bit over half the current space. I assume it would be instead of, rather than as well as the current one.I assume it would be instead of, rather than as well as the current one. I haven't seen the plans, so I don't know exactly where the new car park would be.

It says on land north of Cowley Road so I was expecting it to be in addition to.

 

[bspahh]

It says on land north of Cowley Road so I was expecting it to be in addition to.

It would certainly be good to be able to build on a different site so the old car park can stay open during the construction, even if land for the ground level car park gets used for something else in time.

My employer used a conference room at the Cambridge North Novotel for a meeting, which was great for people arriving by train, but the car park was full by lunchtime and an important attendee didn't turn up, so we haven't used it since then.