Question 8. How should the Local Plan help us achieve net zero carbon by 2050?

How should the Local Plan help us achieve net zero carbon by 2050? There is a limit as to how much a local plan can achieve (rather than legislative or fiscal measures) however we suggest the plan should primarily concentrate on: • Locating development relatively close to Cambridge and in key village settlements (e.g. Ickleton); • Locating development along existing/proposed transport corridors and in villages close to railway stations - e.g. Ickleton – located 1.6km from Great Chesterford station which is on the Cambridge to London railway line; • Locating new residential developments close to existing and proposed employment areas (e.g. Ickleton); and • Encouraging new tree planting in all new developments.

Based on our experience with the major housing developments in the Southern Fringe, the Trumpington Residents’ Association presses for high quality in the planning and construction of new homes, with these meeting the highest standard of energy performance – in practice as well as theory. There needs to be much better quality control by builders and much better monitoring, approval and enforcement by the Councils. There should be a strengthening rather than a weakening of planning conditions and building regulations, with real disincentives for developers who do not comply with them. There have been far too many faults in the 1000s of homes that have been build in the last decade. The Councils and residents should be helped to invest in improvements to existing homes. Decisions about housing and employment development locations should be closely linked to the development of high-quality transport infrastructure and services. In addition, we suggest there should be a major roll-out of electric charging points in the established areas, recent developments and particularly in new developments. This is particularly important in recent developments where there is a high proportion of apartments with communal parking.

New developments should include places of employment and local shops so that they do not result in even more traffic Local employment to not give rise to HGV traffic Homes that are connected to broadband to enable home working schools that are within easy walking distance of homes with priority given to pedestrians and cyclists Rain water collection in homes for toilets etc Secure, accessible cycle storage in homes Visitor parking on the edge of developments to encourage walking and cycling New developments and expansion of existing communities built in conjunction with public transport options in place Direct public transport links from villages to trains, CAM, busways so that the car becomes the less favourable option High standard of home insulation to cut down on heating with fossil fuels Heat pumps and solar panels as standard Insulation from solar gain - shutters as in hotter countries Housing and employment developments to give priority to pedestrians, cycling and public transport but allowing for disabilities.

Savills (UK) Ltd are instructed by St John’s College, Cambridge to make the necessary submissions to the Council’s consultation “The First Conversation” as part of the Issues and Options consultation process for a new Greater Cambridge Local Plan. The College is a significant landowner in and around Cambridge and accordingly needs to make the necessary representations to the Councils in respect of its assets and on other relevant planning policy issues that will arise in the context of any new development plan for the two administrative areas of South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City. It is the case that both Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council alongside the County Council are committed to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. This is a challenging target and the policies within any new Local Plan are only part of a wider local, national and international strategy to address the climate change impact. In the circumstances where the Councils are committed to achieve a net zero carbon objective, then it remains a fundamental part of any planning policy and will impact upon any adopted development strategy having regard to the agreed pattern for new development, the modes of transport that people will take to move around in and around the Greater Cambridge area and, on a much more local level, the implications for design having regard to the need to drastically reduce our current energy use. The College is supportive of the Council’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon whilst acknowledging that planning policies can only play a limited role in meeting this objective. It is committed to reducing its carbon footprint through the adaptation of existing buildings and incorporating effective climate change mitigation in new developments. A move to net zero carbon must be a key challenge within the new Local Plan and policies within any new development plan will be influenced by such a key objective. Further detail on policy suggestions relating to this topic are provided in the answers to other questions submitted by the College. eg Question 9

2050 is far FAR too late! That is a death sentence. Sort yourselves out. This is utterly disgraceful. The IPCC shows the entire world needs to be net zero by 2050. Poor places are not going to manage that, and why should they? Therefore rich places like Cambridge, which have already taken advantage of the Industrial Revolution for decades & decades, need to hit net zero a couple decades earlier, then be NEGATIVE by 2050.

There is no mention of substantial capital carbon costs that will arise in connection with the level of development required to double the size of the local economy within 25 years. This frankly undermines the credibility of a Plan that it is claimed will be sustainable.

The University of Cambridge has adopted a 1.5 degrees Science Based Target for carbon reduction, committing itself to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2048, with a steep 75% decrease on 2015 emissions by 2030. To achieve this target the University will need the following support from the Local Plan: - building-related policies to support high levels of energy efficiency, including high levels of thermal insulation through the adaption of existing buildings and in new build. - energy-related policies to support a transition to zero-carbon sources of energy. This will require: - The adaption of built assets, including heritage assets - The installation of heat pumps - Upgrade to on-site and off-site energy transmission infrastructure - A positive approach to off-site renewable energy generation in Greater Cambridge, including solar farms It’s essential therefore for the Local Plan to contain clearly written and unambiguous policies that give considerable weight in favour of works to achieve zero carbon energy related emissions, particularly where there are tensions with other plan policies, including for example those relating to heritage conservation. The Local Plan should be supported by design guidance from the local planning authorities on options to achieve climate change adaption and mitigation in heritage assets.

(1) Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, * as well as generating other pollutants that are injurious to health. The joint LPA will never begin to attain reduction in CO2 emissions (Big Theme climate change) and improved health (Big Theme well being and social inclusion) unless all major new development is served by efficient, workable and adequate public transport alternatives focused on the area’s daily commuting patterns. (2) Although all measures to make more efficient use of resources are welcome, in terms of addressing CO2 emissions, providing reliable, effective public transport will have a significantly greater impact than promoting sustainable design, as transportation accounts for double the emissions of residential dwellings. The Local Plan must require the location of all proposed strategic sites to be predicated on the provision of multi-modal transport networks providing realistic, attractive and cost effective alternatives to the private car and road freight. (3) In particular, the Local Plan should prohibit any proposal to run massively polluting diesel-powered trains, such as are currently proposed by EWR between Bedford and Cambridge. *https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/776083/2017_Final_emissions_statistics_one_page_summary.pdf

We need urgently to identify a feasible pathway to decarbonising heaing and transport. Cambridge should draw on its knowledge economies to deliver this. Decarbonising personal transport is now clear technologically - but how this gets manifested in our comunities is a matter that will be shaped by planning. IF we want a liveable region with a greater number of people, how we will support this transition is critical. Do we want to see less private car ownership and more flexible use of 'shared' services whether they are carclubs, demand responsive minibus/shared taxi routes to better serve peoples needs, or – in the future- autonomous enabled vehicles? Surely we do – because if we can get this right, everyone will benefit – less wasted resources, so lower costs for transport services. What services and space is needed to make this happen? How can we encourage this? I would suggest that careful redesignation of parking spaces coupled with development of such services is imperative. Can we give people some kind of incentive to give up “their” (houses right to onstreet) parking space for good? Can we make it easier and clearer for residents in the city centre to redesignate 'their' parking space a parklet, and encourage coordinated approach in neighbourhoods – for example redesignating several bays for eg street trees and a parklet. In my own street, observations of parking patterns suggest that there are fewer residents' cars than available parking – as might be expected in this location – how can we reclaim the street for other purposes? None of my neighbours has any idea. We should make this happen in tandem with the transition to net zero. Does the city endorse and encourage on-street charge points for residents in the city centre? How does it do this without taking away space from already congested pavements? This is difficult. I would prefer that we do not see onstreet charging, as a rule, but instead see a planned approach to moving cars away from parking in the streets. It therefore means that redesignation of any carparks should be done carefully – even if we want less private cars driving in the centre. Whatever happens, we should have a planned response, and an opportunity to comment in detail. Decarbonising heat is less clear, but we need to get on and make progress now. We cannot wait for hydrogen to be decided upon – we have to start now. Hydrogen will always be thermodynamically expensive, regardless of what is decided on the safety. So we should get on with the electrification of the 'low regrets' properties. We will need to consider whether heat networks are the favoured solutions in the older properties in the centres of cambridge and in villages. If so, we need to start planning and designate space for the generating plants, and to start developing the plans for heat networks. The council needs to work together, critically, with the network companies in developing their plans for serving the region on a spatial basis, and to subject these to scrutiny from experts and local communities.

The University of Cambridge has adopted a 1.5 degrees Science Based Target for carbon reduction, committing itself to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2048, with a steep 75% decrease on 2015 emissions by 2030. To achieve this target the University will need the following support from the Local Plan: - building-related policies to support high levels of energy efficiency, including high levels of thermal insulation through the adaption of existing buildings and in new build. - energy-related policies to support a transition to zero-carbon sources of energy. This will require: - The adaption of built assets, including heritage assets - The installation of heat pumps - Upgrade to on-site and off-site energy transmission infrastructure - A positive approach to off-site renewable energy generation in Greater Cambridge, including solar farms It’s essential therefore for the Local Plan to contain clearly written and unambiguous policies that give considerable weight in favour of works to achieve zero carbon energy related emissions, particularly where there are tensions with other plan policies, including for example those relating to heritage conservation. The Local Plan should be supported by design guidance from the local planning authorities on options to achieve climate change adaption and mitigation in heritage assets. Biodiversity (nature) can plan an important part in achieving a net zero carbon by the adoption of Nature-Based Solutions to climate change. These include measures such as maintain and enhancing existing nature reserves and habitats, particularly woodland, wetlands and natural grasslands/peatlands, as well and creating new biodiverse habitats by appropriate tree planting, wetland creation etc. If future housing developments are at a higher density this could maximise the amount of land available for carbon capture through tree planting and other biodiversity net gain measures.

It should aim to help us achieve net zero carbon much earlier than 2050. One way in which this local plan can help is to eliminate development motivated by pursuit of economic growth. Another way is, where we do develop, make it carbon-negative. This could mean new homes which generate more energy than they use, or facilitate producer lifestyles (cottage industry, regenerative agriculture, local composting).

Set interim carbon reduction targets including short-term, not merely targeting a net zero date (which could be 2050 but should be earlier).

The local plan should focus on land use objectives. Delivering a strategy which meets housing and economic needs, which enables people to live and work where they can choose to travel by sustainable modes. The plan should also facilitate large scale renewable energy production. The plan should not include policies which seek to control environmental performance of buildings. That is an issue which the Government is tackling through the Building Regulations, and the Government has already set out a highly ambitious programme for delivering zero carbon homes.

Savills (UK) Ltd are instructed by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland (Grosvenor) to make the necessary submissions to the Council’s consultation “The First Conversation” as part of the Issues and Options Consultation process for a new Greater Cambridge Local Plan. Grosvenor have land interests at the Abbey Stadium, home to Cambridge United Football Club and consequently it is entirely appropriate at this stage to raise a number of issues in response to particular questions posed within the consultation document. As part of its sustainability framework, Grosvenor is committed to helping reduce the impacts of climate change by understanding and reducing its carbon footprint across their portfolio. By 2030, Grosvenor will achieve net zero carbon operational emissions from all its directly managed buildings. Grosvenor and USS are committed to working with the Councils to help them achieve net zero carbon by 2050. The Local Plan provides the opportunity to plan in a way which focuses on achieving this target. This requires bold decision making and innovative methods to produce a coherent spatial strategy that performs well in sustainability terms. Developments which help meet these targets should be supported. One of the key issues that will be faced in the formulation of the new plan is the location of new development and clearly sustainability and an approach which seeks to reduce the reliance upon the private motor car is a key objective. The logic therefore moves to a position whereby those sustainable locations with the highest order of services and facilities should be a focus for development and in this case the existing built up area of the City provides that focus. The use of land for more intensive uses and constructed at higher density need not compromise architectural quality and the rules of good urban design. Cambridge over recent years has seen substantial new building in and around the railway station and Hills Road/Cherry Hinton Road. With a much clearer agenda in terms of making the best use of a scarce resource (i.e. land within Cambridge) the Councils must look to making best use of the urban area as a starting point of the genus of any development strategy which looks to locate development within Greater Cambridge. The opportunity afforded by the potential relocation of Cambridge United Football Club to an alternative location or indeed the opportunity to consider further development on the site whilst the Football Club remains in site in some form or another, should be a focus for the new Local Plan and present a real opportunity to secure much needed housing and community uses in such a location. The attractiveness for the “densification” of land within the City has clear sustainability benefits as the use of sustainable construction materials and techniques remain part of the important agenda in the context of climate change and meeting the Council’s aspirations for net zero carbon by 2050.

Its about not only about planning new developments re: sustainable transport, transport systems/infrastructure should redeveloped as a matter of course. Any new developments should pay into a fund to develop sustainable infrastructure in the feed-in and feed-out areas affected by more houses etc. Not just a cycle path/better transport infrastructure adjacent to any new development, for example. E.g. Adding a whole load of new housing on Newmarket road, Cambridge there is no onward planning for how this aids sustainable transport to/from/past this site. Wholesale systematic review of road structure, junctions, footpaths to ensure they promote sustainable transport within and between communities. challenge and change the 'car is king' rules in road planning (and upkeep!).

Much better public transport - more local trains/train stations, better bus service, all electric buses, self-driving electric taxis/buses, eventual banning of petrol/diesel or single occupancy cars from Cambridge city (but only in conjunction with better public transport in place). Regulation on electric scooters (to allow them on roads instead) etc. More direct cycle links between Cambridge and outlying villages. All new builds to be built without gas boilers - with hydrogen or heat pump solutions. Rewilding of green spaces - more tree planting.

Prioritise bicycle, public transport, walking for any new development and integrate with existing sustainable transport networks. Car ownership should definitey be discouraged. Keep schools, libraries etc off busy roads and provide easy access via sustainable transport

One of the best ways the Local Plan can help us achieve net zero carbon by 2050 is by ensuring a rapid transition to sustainable transport. How and where we plan our new developments and integrate them with existing developments will be critical to enabling that transition at the scale we require. We should be aiming for '15-minute neighbourhoods' where people have access to all the services and facilities they need within a 15-minute walk or cycle ride. This will also help address issues of inequality as those without a car are currently disadvantaged in many areas, particularly in Cambridgeshire villages with little or no bus service and poor (or non-existant) footways and cycleways. • Every development must prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over private cars (including electric cars). • Developments in Cambridge and the surrounding area should be required to plan for at least 40% of trips by bicycle. • New developments must be planned around dense walking and cycling networks and local transport hubs (not car-reliant park & rides). • Walking and cycling networks must be in place before dwellings are occupied. • New and existing developments should seek to minimise car usage, prevent rat-running, and keep neighbourhood streets compact to reduce their negative impact. • Housing should be on quiet neighbourhood streets that are good for cycling because they have very low levels of car traffic. • Schools should never be on major roads. • All employment, entertainment, shopping and community facilities should be easily accessed by cycling and have accessible cycle parking for all types of cycles.

As part of its sustainability framework, Grosvenor is committed to helping reduce the impacts of climate change by understanding and reducing its carbon footprint across their portfolio. By 2030, Grosvenor will achieve net zero carbon operational emissions from all its directly managed buildings. Grosvenor and USS are committed to working with the Councils to help them achieve net zero carbon by 2050. The Local Plan provides the opportunity to plan in a way which focuses on achieving this target. This requires bold decision making and innovative methods to produce a coherent spatial strategy that performs well in sustainability terms. Developments which help meet these targets should be supported. The Sustainability Workshop Summary Report prepared by BuroHappold in support of these representations demonstrates Grosvenor’s commitment to this agenda and explains ways in which Trumpington South will address it.

The local plan should prioritise energy conservation in housing, encourage use of and production of renewable energy and promotion of sustainable transport, including active travel. IT sould also promote tree planting and woodland creation to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

2050 is far too late. We just have to notice the accelerated changes that we are facing in the last few years:100 year events happening several times within a decade; storms and flooding while water levels for human consumption decrease. We are told that 1million new homes are needed nationwide, yet statistics like these are proclaimed without local involvement, without people being involved in shaping their communities at the level of economic, business and jobs planning level. People's assemblies at locality/neighbourhood level could be held so that you are not seeking individual responses to questions like this, but you set up community engagement events, characterised by processes to allow people to deliberate together to define their community needs and desires. Events with businesses small and large to help shape the employment opportunities. We definitely need more trees, more garden forests, more green spaces, more wetlands, more learning opportunities for people to be involved in transitioning and creating more carbon sinks.

As stated above, “the vast majority of our energy needs must be met by renewable forms of energy, and this will only be possible by reducing our energy use drastically”. It will be difficult to create sufficient reductions in existing housing stock and industry (including heating, lighting and transport requirements), so new developments will need to aim for negative carbon. The plan also needs to include provision for infrastructure to enable carbon reduction in existing housing and industry, the most obvious being low carbon public transport and upgraded electricity supply.

1. Road charging 2. Ban on diesel vehicles in Cambridge central core 3. No more new dwellings (including factory built units) which use gas heating (unless they are part of a district heating system which could be converted at a later date to a non-carbon fuel). All new building should be to Passiv-Haus standards of insulation. We need to have these requirements in place NOW. We need to get developers to put a statement front and centre of theit plans indicating what they are doing in this respect so that their plans are open and transparent to the public.

EA recognises that water has carbon impacts across it cycle. Long distance transfer or desalinating water has significant impacts. Sustainable drainage that puts water into the ground retains a resource, and thus reduces the carbon impacts. Overworking and drying out of soils (and particular peat) has significant carbon impacts. Sustainable land use around agriculture is critical to manage this. Large scale restoration of wetlands and tree planting has positive impacts for biodiversity, water quality, flood risk as well and carbon sequestration. Requiring doubling of nature and making space for water would help achieve these objectives.

From ASAP not a single building or development should be allowed if it is not carbon neutral. Not a single building or development should be allowed if it is not connected to the cycling and public transport network. Charities like Cambridge Carbon Footprint/Transition Cambridge and Cambridge Cycling Campaign should be listened to when developing local plan policies. Their advice should be valued above that of out of town consultants and developers as they have been proven right time and time again. If their advice had been followed earlier we would be much further along the path of being net zero and have nicer places to live.

Houses need to be built to the highest BREEAM standards. I would ask the council to push, as far as you can, for there to be incentives to refurbish old buildings, rather than demolish them.

By stipulating high standards for reducing energy and non grey water use in all new buildings. Passivhaus may be a useful well developed standard to examine and adopt in whole or part . Using planning policy to reduce use of private cars and encouraging increased cycling.

From a land-use planning point of view, the development strategy being put in place within the local plan affects where people will choose to live and work and visit. Consequently it will need to come forward having regard to a host of influencing factors including accessibility, landscape as well as existing policy considerations such as the trade-off between sustainable locations for low carbon transport and development versus Green Belt considerations. At a practical level, the design of buildings and the materials incorporated into the fabric of buildings will drive their carbon footprint. Within Cambridge and in a number of villages, there are key heritage assets owned by the Colleges which may require a programme of refurbishment and redevelopment. The historic fabric and setting of those buildings is a key issue and the planning authorities need to ensure there is an appropriate balance between sustaining and maintaining the historic fabric and quality of a building and measures seeking to reduce energy. There has certainly been a tension in the past where conservation issues have led to much more weight being placed on heritage issues rather than other important factors such as reduction of energy consumption and the consequent impacts on design. We consider that new proposals coming forward on the Colleges’ historic and heritage assets need to be considered with a stronger weighting on the collective aspiration to be as sustainable as possible, and hope this aligns with the Big Themes outlined above.

This is difficult to do through a Local Plan only which only really impacts on the future development in the plan and does not include the larger carbon footprint of all the existing development and activities and extra supply impacts for the whole area. The target can have a disproportionate impact of low carbon measures on new development, some which will be required to save energy but I would also caution making homes so air tight and energy efficient some can lead to problems of overheating in homes and offices as the climate heating increases temperatures over the summer period.

• One of the best ways the Local Plan can help us achieve net zero carbon by 2050 is by ensuring a rapid transition to sustainable transport. How and where we plan our new developments and integrate them with existing developments will be critical to enabling that transition at the scale we require. • Every development must prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over private cars (including electric cars).