OBJECT

KG Moss Will Trust/Moss Family do not object to the principle of settlement boundaries being defined around villages. However, the existing defined settlement boundaries for most villages in South Cambridgeshire have remained largely unchanged since the Local Plan 2004. The settlement boundaries were adjusted in some cases to take into account allocations at some villages through the Site Specific Allocations DPD 2010 and the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018. In Fulbourn, heritage assets, protected village amenity areas, local green space and important countryside frontage designations restrict development opportunities within the settlement boundary, and the Green Belt restricts development outside the settlement boundary. The proposed development at the Ida Darwin Hospital site was a longstanding allocation, the proposed development off Teversham Road was approved at a time when the Council could not demonstrate a five year housing land supply, and the proposed development to the west of Balsham Road was a rural housing exception scheme; as set out in the representations to Section 2.6/Policy S/RRA affordable housing needs have and will remain despite these developments. It is very likely that all other development opportunities that did exist within Fulbourn have been taken up by now, and any that do remain (other than the outstanding proposed developments) would be for one or two dwellings only that are not required to provide affordable housing.

The Councils have not undertaken an assessment of the capacity of land within the existing settlement boundaries of villages to accommodate additional development. It is likely that such an assessment would demonstrate that the capacity is limited.

It is considered that the emerging GCLP should seek to allocate suitable sites on the edge of existing sustainable villages and to adjust the settlement boundary to accommodate those allocations. The sites promoted by KG Moss Will Trust/Moss Family in Fulbourn are suitable and available for housing, and should be allocated for development.

Requested Change

It is requested that a capacity assessment is undertaken of all villages in South Cambridgeshire to determine which potential housing sites might be deliverable or developable during the plan period to 2041 and the number of dwellings that might be delivered from each of those sites.

If the capacity assessment identifies no suitable sites to meet identified affordable housing needs it is requested that additional allocations are made on the edge of those villages to deliver sufficient housing to meet those affordable housing needs.