OBJECT

RO Group is promoting land south of Hall Lane in Great Chishill for a small infill residential development of approximately 21 dwellings including affordable housing, and in representations has requested that the site is allocated in emerging GCLP. These representations to Policy S/DS are focussed on the preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area, and specifically the decision to allocate a very limited amount of development to the more sustainable villages.

The overall development strategy is very reliant on the delivery of an extensions to an existing new settlement (Cambourne West + an additional 1,950 dwellings at Cambourne), planned new settlements (Northstowe, Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield) and new communities on the edge of Cambridge (North East Cambridge and Cambridge East). It is acknowledged that the principle of development at most of these strategic sites is already established through adopted development plan documents; the additional dwellings at Cambourne is proposed through emerging GCLP and associated with East West Rail. However, it is considered that there are a number of risks associated with the preferred development strategy, which relate to housing delivery rates and whether these can be increased at some new settlements, the relocation of existing uses from some sites, and the delivery of affordable housing.

It is considered that current predicted delivery rates at the existing and planned new settlements are already optimistic, but there is no credible evidence that faster housing delivery rates can be achieved at Northstowe or Waterbeach. It is considered that realistic assumptions about delivery are applied for North East Cambridge and Cambridge East taking into account the complexity or these developments and the need for existing uses to be relocated. It is noted that most of the new settlements will deliver less affordable housing than the normal policy requirement of 40%, and in order to address that under-delivery it is considered that the development strategy should allocate additional sites that are capable of providing policy compliant levels of affordable housing including small and medium sites in the villages.

The preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area is based on the assumption that the villages in this area are unsustainable because existing and future residents would need to travel by car to access services and facilities and employment opportunities. It is considered that this assumption is incorrect for some villages, including Great Chishill where rural bus services are due to be improved. The preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area also provides no support for existing services and facilities in villages and provides no strategy to meet current identified affordable housing needs of villages. RO Group are not advocating a dispersed development strategy whereby most development is directed to the villages, but is requesting that a sufficient amount of land is allocated at some villages to support services and ensure that identified affordable housing needs are met.

There are three paragraphs in the NPPF that suggest a different approach is required in the development strategy for the rest of the rural area. Paragraph 105 seeks to ensure that development is located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes can be maximised, but acknowledges that the opportunities will be different in urban and rural areas. Paragraph 79 seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas by locating housing where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and enable villages to grow and thrive. Paragraph 62 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.

Great Chishill contains a public house, places of worship, a village hall, and sports and recreation grounds. It would be beneficial for additional development to support these services and facilities. There is a currently a limited bus service to Royston and Cambridge, but it noted that the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections project proposes a more frequent rural bus service for Great Chishill in the future.

South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 9 affordable dwellings in Great Chishill and Little Chishill for those with a local connection to the villages – see https://www.scambs.gov.uk/media/18316/affordable-housing-housing-statistical-information-leaflet-december-2019.pdf. This identified need would not be met without allocations in Great Chishill. It is noted that there is no neighbourhood plan being prepared for the village, no community land trust, and rural housing exception schemes are typically very small and are reliant on a landowner willing to offer land up at existing use value. The promoted development by RO Group at land south of Hall Lane in Chishill 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, 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.

Requested Change

The following changes are requested to Policy S/DS: Development Strategy:

It is requested that predicted housing delivery rates for the new settlements take into account the evidence from similar development elsewhere.

It is requested that the assumptions about faster housing delivery rates for Northstowe and Waterbeach are deleted from the development strategy.

It is requested that realistic assumptions about delivery are applied for North East Cambridge and Cambridge East.

It is requested that additional sites that are capable of providing policy compliant levels of affordable housing are identified in the development strategy, including small and medium sites in the villages, in order to address the under-delivery of affordable housing from Northstowe, Waterbeach, Cambourne West, North East Cambridge and Cambridge East.

It is requested that small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Chishill, because there are planned improvements to the rural bus service, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within the village, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in the village.

As requested in the RO Group representations to Section 6.2: Rest of Rural Area, the land south of Hall Lane in Great Chishill should be allocated in emerging GCLP for residential development.