Many of the housing and mixed-use allocations that have been outlined in the First Proposals document (Figure 4) have been carried forward from the Councils’ existing Local Plans. As these sites have already been through an examination process Huntingdonshire District Council have no objections to the location of these developments.

Figure 4 also identifies accelerated delivery at Waterbeach and Northstowe. At Northstowe, supporting documents identify that this will be as a result of using modern methods of construction Huntingdonshire District Council concur that off-site modular construction can assist in accelerating delivery on sites. The Council would like to ensure that faster delivery on sites does not impact on infrastructure provision and services in the surrounding areas, this would include access to GP surgeries, transport networks etc and recreational pressure on green infrastructure e.g. Fen Drayton Lakes.

The Councils’ major locations for growth are directed towards “where it has the 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 near to where people live.” Huntingdonshire District Council agree that this is the most sustainable growth option and can reduce the climate impact of commuting. The Council concurs that 2041 is an appropriate date for this plan period given the level of uncertainty over the routing and delivery timeframes of major transport infrastructure projects including East-West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge expressway. It is considered that it may be appropriate for subsequent plan reviews to consider a longer plan period to reflect these major infrastructure projects and to consider other large scale strategic sites to reflect these opportunities.

It is also agreed that growth in rural areas should be based around where there are good public transport links and services. This provides opportunities to promote reduced car travel. To encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of travel these principles must be fully integrated into the design of new development and available by the time the first residents occupy properties or businesses move in (as appropriate). This will help to ensure that residents and employees adopt sustainable transport choices from day one, reducing the draw towards car usage as a result of an initial lack of alternatives.