Policy S/DS: Development Strategy sets out where the homes and jobs identified in the Plan should be provided in order to meet the vision and aims of the Local Plan. It is considered that this development strategy is flawed as it concentrates a significant amount of development in new settlements and large edge of Cambridge sites. Less than 4% of the total additional homes and employment sites planned for are to be located within existing villages.

This is not an appropriate response to allow these villages to grow and thrive during the plan period. It is acknowledged that a sustainable strategy is required in relation to the location of new development however, to define all villages in South Cambridgeshire as unsustainable and not allowing any new housing and employment development to meet their needs will ensure that these villages will never grow, prosper, or adapt to changing needs and they will stagnate. In particular the decision to exclude Melbourn from any major employment development is major missed opportunity given the sustainable credentials of the village.

The proposed development strategy in respect of employment is to direct development to where is has least climate impact; where active and public transport is the natural choice; where green infrastructure can be delivered alongside new development and where jobs’ services and facilities can be located close to where people live.
We understand to focus the majority of growth around Cambridge and the other major settlements however there is a particular opportunity we consider has been overlooked at Melbourn. We have made representations to this consultation that Melbourn (along with Meldreth) should be moved up the hierarchy as it is already performing as a Rural Centre.

The land identified in SHLAA: Site Reference 40262 to the east and west of the A10 at Melbourn is perfectly positioned to deliver employment development in a sustainable location without the need to impact on the green belt. The proposed site meets all the criteria outlined in the development strategy criteria above and can deliver a roadside services scheme with B1; B2;B8 employment uses. It would provide job opportunities, commutable by sustainable modes, not only for Melbourn and Meldreth but other surrounding villages as well, supporting the reduction in car dependency and commuting into Cambridge. Other aspirations for a care village identified in our earlier representations have now been replaced with employment development as shown on the amended masterplan.

Melbourn needs to deliver further jobs to provide a balance with existing and proposed future housing growth in the village which includes the two Melbourn sites in the Housing land supply assessment at The Moor (20 dwellings) and Cambridge Road (120 dwellings). The village is more than capable of sustaining larger scale windfall development which is why it should be moved up the settlement hierarchy accordingly.

A Local Plan objective is "Making Places better" but it is unclear how this objective will be achieved in rural communities with no housing and employment growth allowed. It is not adequate to ignore the needs of these communities by cutting them off and stunting their growth. South Cambridgeshire District is a rural authority, and a large proportion of the current population resides in rural areas. This population is anticipated to grow significantly in the plan period by 27.4% .

This population growth and investment cannot all be directed to new settlements at the cost of the existing villages. Investment should also be directed towards improving public transport for rural communities to improve their sustainability and access to a range of services and through delivering appropriate levels of employment growth at the most sustainable rural villages such as Melbourn, which sits on a primary route network and has the best public transport links of any village of its size in the district. This would reduce car dependency, support the adoption of sustainable modes of transport and reduce commuting in to Cambridge, by providing high-quality job opportunities closer to where people live.