The Civic Quarter is the term used to describe the area in central Cambridge comprising the Guildhall, Corn Exchange, Market Square and public spaces in between.

Traders have been running stalls on the Market Square since the Middle Ages, the Guildhall site has been a seat of local democracy for 800 years, and the Corn Exchange celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2025.

As custodian of these historic sites, the council needs to invest in their upkeep and plans to do so in a way that will generate income and reduce operational costs as part of its wider plans to balance its budget – while ensuring the area is for for a 21st century society, and offers a focal point for the city that residents can be proud of.

Accessibility

We want to make the area more inclusive and accessible by:

• lifting and relaying the Victorian granite setts (or cobbles) to create an accessible and inclusive surface that mobility-impaired, wheelchair and pushchair users can cross – addressing current accessibility issues which exclude some people from visiting the market
• making the spaces more open and welcoming with more opportunities to meet and sit
• improving access to the buildings
• prioritising pedestrians over vehicles where possible.

Sustainability

We want to make the area more sustainable, in line with the council's net zero commitments, with:

• 20% net gain in biodiversity
• measures to better balance water consumption across the site
• some new market stalls having solar panels and others green roofs
• improved building insulation and energy efficiency – natural ventilation, energy efficient lighting and systems, smart energy management systems and solar panels, and future proofed to connect to the proposed city centre heat network.

Reducing operational costs

We want to reduce the council's costs of operating out of the Guildhall by:

• improving the deteriorating office space in the Guildhall that is not currently in use (the council's Customer Service Centre and majority of staff are now based in Mandela House on Regent Street instead)
• moving these staff back into the Guildhall and selling Mandela House – with the overall reduction in office space creating ongoing cost savings, as well as a reduction in the council's carbon emissions

Latest updates and next steps

• Planning Committee has now determined the three main planning applications related to the Civic Quarter project. A further application related to the temporary market which would operate during any construction on the Market Square has been submitted to Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (August 2027). Find out more about the planning applications, decisions and next steps.
• Since Full Council (9 October 2025) when a capital budget of up to £4.4 million was approved to continue work on the proposals, the project team has been refining the proposals and taking them through the planning process (see above).
• A further decision on whether to proceed with the project will be taken by Cabinet and Full Council in autumn 2026, before any work could potentially start on site from January 2027.
• The proposals are for the work on the Market Square to be completed in 12 months, and for the Corn Exchange to be reopened within 18 months, and the Guildhall reopened within 24 months.

There are many individuals and organisations involved in this complex project and the team is meeting with many of these stakeholders, including the Civic Quarter Liaison Group. We continue to work closely with market traders, holding regular meetings to discuss stall designs, temporary relocation during future works, and long-term market operations.

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