SUPPORT

Mrs Johnson owns land included within the preferred allocation at land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane in Great Shelford (Site Ref. S/RSC/HW), and the decision to identify the site as a preferred allocation for 100 dwellings is supported. In summary, the Rural Southern Cluster is an appropriate location for additional development because of the close proximity to employment opportunities and the good accessibility by sustainable modes of transport. There are exceptional circumstances to justify the release of land from the Green Belt, which are related to the significant need for housing and affordable housing in Greater Cambridge and the need to support economic growth. The decision to release the land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane from the Green Belt is consistent with national policy. There is a current identified need for affordable housing in Great Shelford and Stapleford, and no other realistic options have been identified to meet that current need within the villages other than through the release of land from the Green Belt through emerging GCLP. The assessment of the land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane in the (Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) identify some constraints to the promoted development at the site, but suitable and deliverable mitigation measures have been identified to address those constraints. The land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane in Great Shelford scores well in the Sustainability Appraisal when assessed against the identified sustainability objectives and when compared against alternative site options.

The land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane is currently located within the Green Belt, and it is proposed in the GCLP Preferred Options that the site should be released from the Green Belt and allocated for residential development. Chapter 13 of the NPPF sets out national policy for Green Belts.

Paragraph 140 of the NPPF allows Green Belt boundaries to be altered through the plan-making process provided exceptional circumstances exist, and those exceptional circumstances should be based on evidence and justified. It is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to release land from the Green Belt, which are related to the significant need for housing and affordable housing in Greater Cambridge and the need to support economic growth. Stapleford and Great Shelford are very well related to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, and other employment opportunities within and on the edge of Cambridge. Stapleford and Great Shelford contain a very good range of services and facilities and are accessible by sustainable modes of transport. There is an identified need for affordable housing in Stapleford and Great Shelford, and no other realistic options have been identified to meet that current need within the villages other than through the release of land from the Green Belt through emerging GCLP.

Paragraph 141 requires plan-making authorities to examine all other reasonable options to meet identified development needs before considering whether exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries i.e. make as much use of previously developed land, increase the density of development, and consider whether development needs could be accommodated in neighbouring areas. In the case of Cambridge increasing densities and reusing previously developed land is not straightforward and may be inappropriate because of heritage assets and the difficulty of finding alternative sites for existing uses. The adopted Local Plans for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire already identified previously developed land opportunities, and the emerging GCLP seeks to do them same. As such, previously developed land opportunities that are deliverable have already been identified within and on the edge of Cambridge.

Paragraph 142 requires any review of Green Belt boundaries to consider the need to promote sustainable patterns of development, and that where the release of land from the Green Belt is necessary that priority is given to previously developed land or sites that are well-served by public transport. It is acknowledged in emerging GCLP and the associated Sustainability Appraisal that the edge of Cambridge is a sustainable location because of its close proximity to employment and the opportunity to travel by non-car modes of transport. The preferred allocation at land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane in Great Shelford is well served by public transport (bus and rail) and is well connected with existing cycle routes, and there are future public transport improvements proposed in the local area. Therefore, the release of the land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane from the Green Belt would be consistent with the approach in national policy to give priority to those Green Belt sites that are well served by public transport.

There are three other paragraphs in the NPPF that support the decision to identify land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane as a preferred allocation in emerging GCLP. 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. 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.

Stapleford and Great Shelford contain a good range of services and facilities, reflecting their status as a Rural Centre in the settlement hierarchy. For example, they contain a variety of convenience stores, a post office, library, primary schools, health services including doctors and dentist, banks, public houses, and restaurants. The preferred allocation at land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane would support the existing services and facilities in Stapleford and Great Shelford. Shelford Station is located close to the site. There are bus routes on Hinton Way, Mingle Lane, Station Road and Cambridge Road, all of which are close to the site. There are cycle routes through Stapleford and Great Shelford into Cambridge. The route for the proposed Cambridge South East Transport project by the Greater Cambridge Partnership is located to the north west of the site, and there is a proposed stop at Hinton Way that would be within close proximity of the site. Therefore, the land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane is accessible by a range of sustainable modes of transport, and it would be consistent with national policy to direct additional development to this site.

South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 28 affordable dwellings in Stapleford and 47 affordable dwellings in Great Shelford 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. It is not clear how the affordable housing needs of these villages would be met, other than through the allocation of a suitable site in emerging GCLP that is capable of delivering policy compliant levels of affordable housing. It is noted that in 2016 a Stapleford and Great Shelford Neighbourhood Plan Area was designated, but limited progress has been made since to produce a draft plan that might address identified affordable housing needs through site allocations. In any event, as Rural Centre and one of the more sustainable settlements in South Cambridgeshire, Stapleford and Great Shelford should seek to accommodate district-wide affordable housing needs and not just those local needs arising in the villages. The preferred allocation at land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the villages. The promoted development would be subject to a policy requirement to provide 40% affordable housing on site, and it is normal for planning permissions for major residential developments in South Cambridgeshire to include a planning obligation requiring a proportion of the affordable dwellings to be offered to those with a local connection to the village.

For all these reasons, it is entirely appropriate and consistent with national policy for the development strategy in Policy S/DS to release land from the Green Belt in the Rural Southern Cluster at Stapleford/Great Shelford, and to identify land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane as a preferred allocation for residential development.

In addition, it should be noted that the key parts of the development strategy for emerging GCLP is the delivery of extensions to Cambourne, the planned new settlements at Northstowe, Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield, and the new communities on the edge of Cambridge at North East Cambridge and Cambridge East. These are all complex developments that also require the delivery of transport and community infrastructure. The predicted housing delivery rates at these developments are challenging. Most of these developments will provide less affordable housing than required by policy, at least in the initial phases, to reflect the amount of infrastructure that is needed. The proposed redevelopments at North East Cambridge and Cambridge East are complex and involves the relocation of the existing uses. Therefore, it is considered that the development strategy for emerging GCLP should also include small and medium allocations, such as land off Hinton Way and Mingle Lane in Great Shelford, that can be delivered easily and maintain a housing land supply and meet affordable housing needs.

No changes are required to Policy S/DS.