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 villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and particularly those villages such as Great Chishill where there are planned improvements to the rural bus service and where there is an identified need for affordable housing for those with a local connection to the village. It should be noted that more people are working at home, at least for part of the week, and this trend is likely to continue which means people will commute less often for work. The phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles and the requirement for new residential developments to include electric vehicle charging points should help to improve air quality.

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 south of Hall Lane in Great Chishill would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including the public house and existing and future bus services. There is a currently a limited bus service from Great Chishill to Royston and Cambridge, but the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections project proposes a more frequent rural bus service from the village to provide realistic alternatives to the car in the future.

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 south of Hall Lane in Great Chishill are allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including those that are easily deliverable.

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 9 affordable dwellings in Great Chishill and Little Chishill for those with a local connection to the villages. This identified need would not be met without allocations in the village. The promoted development by RO Group at land south of Hall Lane in Great 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, including Great Chishill, because the village will have a better bus service in the future, 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 which would not be met via other means.

The RO Group representations to the assessment of the land south of Hall Lane site in the HELAA (Site Ref. 47879) comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted development and explain how those constraints would be addressed. The call for sites submission referred to three potential sites, but only the land south of Hall Lane is now promoted for residential development. In summary, the land south of Hall Lane represents and infill site between existing housing, there are no heritage, landscape or ecological constraints associated with this site and existing trees and hedgerows could be retained and enhanced, an access can be provided on to Hall Lane, and the bus service in the village is due to be improved in the future to improve accessibility by sustainable modes of transport.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes an additional allocation in Great Chishill at land south of Hall Lane.

It is requested that land south of Hall Lane in Great Chishill is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 0.69 Ha
• Capacity for approx. 21 dwellings, including affordable housing
• Retain and enhance existing trees and hedgerows
• Provide access from Hall Lane