We support the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service’s vision to minimise carbon emissions and reduce the reliance on the private car. The spatial area is fortunate to have existing railway infrastructure, particularly in the south and south west of the city of Cambridge which connects the villages into the city and also into London and now beyond to Gatwick and Brighton. These sustainable transport corridors should form strategic areas for growth. However, we believe one corridor for sustainable growth has been neglected to be given adequate consideration and this is the south west corridor connecting villages of Melbourn/Meldreth, Foxton, Shepreth etc into London and Cambridge. This area also benefits from the GCP Melbourn Greenway project which will connect the villages to several transport hubs and railway stations by Active Travel means.

If the Councils’ want to decrease climate impacts and increase the quality of everyday life for all communities, the Shared Planning Service should give greater weight than is currently being considered to the sustainability of existing locations and settlements such as Meldreth/Melbourn, which has the existing sustainable infrastructure. This is a more sustainable, and more deliverable option, than relying on growth around new infrastructure projects which still are to be decided or proven to be deliverable.