Alongside the growth of the Cambridge Urban Area and on the edge of the City, the First Proposals document states that Greater Cambridge wants to make “the most of their existing and planned public transport links to Cambridge and other centres.” Relying on planned transport projects will leave the Plan vulnerable to challenge and exposed at a late stage of the process if delivery of these projects is delayed. We believe more focus should be given to growth around existing infrastructure such as the railway line to the south west of Cambridge which links existing communities into London and Cambridge.
The Shared Planning Service should do more analysis on this sustainable transport corridor. In particular, Meldreth and Melbourn (considered together) form an extremely sustainable area to live and work and travel sustainably to other central areas for work and leisure.
The Shared Planning Service should look at existing settlements and make sure that development helps to increase natural organic growth of these settlements. It should be seen as an opportunity to increase the viability of smaller settlements by locating growth within the existing communities rather than focusing the majority of all growth numbers to relatively new communities on greenfield land surrounding Cambridge.
By not allocating significant growth in the areas such as Meldreth/ Melbourn, Greater Cambridge are missing an opportunity to harness the existing qualities of existing communities.