Section 2.6: Rest of Rural Area / Policy S/RRA: Allocations in the Rest of the Rural Area

OBJECT

It is considered that the growth of the more sustainable villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and particularly those villages that contain a good range of services and facilities, are accessible by a range of modes of transport, and where there is an identified need for affordable housing for those with a local connection to the village.

Paragraph 79 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services. The promoted development at land at Bury End Farm in Meldreth would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including the convenience store, public house, and bus and train services.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to the access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridgeshire. It is requested that small/medium sized sites such as land at Bury End Farm in Meldreth are allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including those that are easily deliverable.

Paragraph 104 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 105 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable. There is a train station at Meldreth providing services to Cambridge and London. Meldreth is also on a bus route with services to Royston. The Greater Cambridge Partnership has identified a potential rural travel hub at the railway station, which would provide additional cycle parking facilities. The site promoted by Hastingwood Developments at Bury End Farm in Meldreth is accessible to all of the services and facilities in the village by walking, cycling and public transport. As such, there are realistic alternatives to the car for travel to and from Meldreth.

Paragraph 62 of the NPPF expects the size, type, and tenure of housing needs of the community to be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for example those with an affordable housing need, students, renters, and self-builders. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 36 affordable dwellings in Meldreth for those with a local connection to the village. This identified need would not be met without allocations in Meldreth. The promoted development by Hastingwood Developments at Bury End Farm in Meldreth would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village.

For all these reasons, small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Meldreth, because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages which would not be met via other means.

The land at Bury End Farm in Meldreth is partly previously developed land and the existing buildings would be demolished to accommodate the promoted development. The existing turkey factory operation would be relocated to an alternative site. The relocation of the existing use from the site would provide benefits to the neighbouring residents and to the village in terms of removing noise, odour, and traffic movements.

Hastingwood Developments’ representations to the assessment of the Bury End Farm site in the HELAA (Site Ref. 40284) comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted development and explain how those constraints would be addressed. In summary, there are no significant constraints to development at Bury End Farm in Meldreth, and there are substantial benefits associated with the relocation of the existing turkey factory operation from the site.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes an additional allocation in Meldreth at Bury End Farm.

It is requested that land at Bury End Farm, off North End in Meldreth is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 2.41 Ha
• Capacity for approx. 70 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Development should address the following constraints:
o Demolition of No.44 North End to create an upgraded site access
o Landscaping at southern and south western boundaries
o Avoid harm to significance of heritage assets