It is considered that the growth of the more sustainable villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and particularly those villages that contain a good range of services and facilities, are accessible by a range of modes of transport, and where there is an identified need for affordable housing for those with a local connection to the village.

Paragraph 79 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to the access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridgeshire.

Paragraph 104 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 105 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable.

The Greater Cambridge area includes many large villages (currently classified as Rural Centres, Minor Rural Centres and Group Villages) which have train stations, guided busway routes, rapid bus connections and greenway cycle lanes with link to employment centres and Cambridge city centre. They are accessible to a variety of services and facilities by realistic alternatives to the car. Further, these villages contain a variety of services and facilities which would be supported by new residents.

Paragraph 62 of the NPPF 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. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for a significant number of affordable homes in many of the District’s villages. This identified need would not be met without allocations in these villages, which would include housing and affordable housing.

The County has sought to promote additional sites for development at locations in Cottenham (ref 40176), Histon (refs 40193 and 40192), Waterbeach (ref 40183), Willingham (ref 40179), Melbourn (ref 40199) and Foxton (ref 40148). All are ranked in the current Local Plan as either Rural Centres or Minor Rural Centres, and Foxton (currently a Group Village) has a train station and is potentially to become a rural travel hub. All of these villages contain a good range of services and facilities, including schools, shops and public transport links. Several of the sites benefit from close proximity to rail stations with links to central Cambridge and London.

For all these reasons, small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages which would not be met via other means.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes additional allocations in the following locations:

Glebe Farm, Twenty Pence Road, Cottenham Glebe Fen Farm
• Site area of 6.8 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 150 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Provision of significant new open space, including a buffer to the church yard
• Retain key views of the Church and Conservation Area and minimise harm to heritage assets

Land west of Cottenham Road, Histon (Buxhall Farm)
• Site area of 4.8 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 40 dwellings, including affordable housing, to the front of the site along Cottenham Road
• Provision of new open space and potentially community land to the rear, with biodiversity enhancements and strategic landscaping

Land adjacent to Histon School, Glebe Way, Histon
• Site area of 2.32 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 60 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Provision of new open space and landscaping, including links to Northern Buxhall Farm local green space

Land to the north of Cardyke Road, Waterbeach Cardyke Road
• Site area of 2 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 40 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Pedestrian and cycle links to Cambridge Road and Cardyke Road

Belsar Farm, Willingham
• Site area of 0.88 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 26 dwellings, including affordable housing
• Pedestrian and cycle links to neighbouring development and Sponge Drove

Tostock Farm, Cambridge Road, Melbourn
• Site area of 13.01 Ha
• Capacity for approx. 150 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Significant new open space and strategic landscaping
• New pedestrian links to Cambridge Road and Portway
• Enhancement of existing agricultural access to Cambridge Road

Herod’s Farm, High Street, Foxton
• Site area of 5 Ha
• Capacity of approx. 90 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build
• Provide open space and green infrastructure, including enhanced biodiversity and landscape buffer as requested by Neighbourhood Plan
• Upgrade existing vehicular access on High Street and provide new links to Rowlands Close