Commercial providers of education who operate outside the mainstream private and public sectors are struggling to source suitable premises in Cambridge, reports property consultancy Carter Jonas.

According to the firm’s commercial agents, there is an increase in demand from private companies in this slice of the education sector who provide niche services such as language schools for international students or ‘crammer’ exam courses - but there is a paucity of supply of ready-made premises in the city.

Will Mooney, joint head of Carter Jonas’s commercial agency and professional services in the eastern region, explains: “Providers in the language school and exam-tutorial college sectors have very specific requirements when it comes to location. Being in what locals might regard as ‘Cambridge’ is often not good enough.  

“They need to be central to transport and the city’s amenities and attractions.  Ideally, in the Hills Road or Regent Street area or on the main arterial routes in to the centre such as Huntingdon Road, Barton Road or Madingley Road or on what they would regard as the fringes of the city centre, on routes such as Chesterton Road.”

While there is a supply of premises above shops and within the older office suites in these areas of Cambridge, the defined business use class – D1 for non- residential institutions – of these premises is where these colleges can come unstuck. Particularly the language schools, whose use is more seasonally intense and by a higher volume of students than the exam-tutorial colleges.

“Unlike most mainstream commercial uses, the use of education premises is very much seasonally based,” says Mooney.  

“There’s not the steady ebb and flow throughout the whole year and, when in operation, even during one day. There’s an enormous swell of users at certain, fixed points in the college day during the most popular seasons.

“Such patterns of use are not looked on favourably by planning authorities, who are mindful of the intermittent burden on infrastructure and the effect on any surrounding residential areas.”

According to Carter Jonas, the key to unlocking any planning impediment is for providers to seek advice at the earliest stage.

Mooney concludes: “Physically, a number of suitable premises do exist in the areas in which these education providers need and it would be a great use of some of the city’s commercial property stock.

“Agents in a position to offer planning advice are well placed to help these private providers in the education sector capitalise on not only the academic cachet of Cambridge but the city’s international reputation for doing good business.”

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Will Mooney, joint head of Carter Jonas’s commercial agency and professional services in the eastern region