Comment
Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options
Representation ID: 57482
Received: 10/12/2021
Respondent: ESFA (Department for Education)
It appears that this policy will be more specific and onerous than OS21, so there would be an additional cost to compliance which the councils should carefully consider, both in terms of cost to public purse and knock-on effect on requests for developer contributions to reflect higher cost of education provision.
May be opportunities for strategic planning of biodiversity net gain on existing education sites, to facilitate new school development and new housing elsewhere in the Greater Cambridge area. Recommend you work with Cambridgeshire County Council, further/higher education providers and other partners to explore how the education estate might deliver biodiversity net gain and support sustainable development.
It appears that this policy will be more specific and onerous than OS21, so there would be an additional cost to compliance which the councils should carefully consider, both in terms of the cost to the public purse and the knock-on effect on requests for developer contributions to reflect the higher cost of education provision.
There may be opportunities for strategic planning of biodiversity net gain on existing education sites, to facilitate new school development and also new housing elsewhere in the Greater Cambridge area. We recommend that you work with Cambridgeshire County Council, further/higher education providers and other partners to explore how the education estate might deliver biodiversity net gain and support sustainable development.