Employment Needs and Job Creation

Paragraph 81 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires planning policies to facilitate conditions where businesses can “invest expand and adapt”. Significant weight is placed upon the need to support economic growth, both local business needs and wider opportunities. Great emphasis is placed upon capitalising on opportunities where “Britain can be a global leader in driving innovation”.

Greater Cambridge area has emerged as a high-tech research cluster of national and global significance. Forming one corner of the UK’s “Golden Triangle” alongside Oxford and London, Cambridge boasts 1500 high-tech industries focusing on life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and computing which have afforded the region the title “Silicon Fen” referred to locally as the “Cambridge Phenomenon.”

The presence of the world-renowned university in combination with the presence of anchor firms such as AstraZeneca, leading hospitals and other research facilities creates an environment conducive to the growth of the innovating region. The co-location of these institutions and businesses has resulted in an agglomeration economy which continues to attract companies looking to benefit from the large pool of skilled labour, complementary resources and opportunities for knowledge sharing. The presence of 25 science parks including Trinity College and Granta Park as well as Addenbrookes Biomedical Campus creates a dynamic ecosystem which fosters the potential for advancements in technologies and bioscience. As a result, Cambridge is considered to be at the leading edge of research and development, with the most patents recorded in the UK, contributing significantly to the Country’s knowledge-based economy.

The formation of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, comprising Cambridge County, Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge University following the awarding of a City Deal in 2013 provides a governance structure which supports the growth of the tech hub and surrounding region. The presence of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority further assists with this. The continued success of the city, home to some of the most talented entrepreneurial and visionary minds places it at the axis of three intersecting innovation corridors:

• The Oxford-Cambridge Arc spanning five counties the region will host an array of major high-tech industries and forms an important part of the Government’s economic strategy particular in the economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The Innovation Corridor (London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor) a leading sci-tech region home to thousands of knowledge-intensive companies which connects Cambridge with London.
• The Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor covers 100km across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk innovation, commercialisation and manufacture in life sciences and artificial intelligence.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is now even greater focus on breaking new boundaries in understanding disease biology and advancement in therapies to bring about life changing medicines and technological discoveries. It is, therefore, the function of the aforementioned corridors and clusters such as Cambridge, where the benefits of the existing agglomeration economies exist, that further growth needs to be supported and the opportunities for “cross-pollination” harnessed to accelerate scientific progress and drive the UK economy.

The Greater Cambridge Local Plan (GCLP) is coming forward in the growth context outlined above, accordingly it is of vital importance that the Councils plan positively for economic growth and seize the opportunity before them in the next plan period. The ‘First Proposals’ GCLP supports the ‘central’ jobs forecast scenario in the preparation of the GCLP as set out in the Housing and Employment Relationship Report (November 2020) (HERR). This forecast results in a need to plan for 58,500 new jobs in the area over the plan period 2020-2041. To support this forecasted growth in jobs a total of 44,400 new dwellings are needed over the plan period.

It is noted that the HERR also provides an alternative ‘higher jobs’ forecast which indicates that 78,700 jobs could be delivered over the plan period. A total of 56,500 new homes would be needed to support this alternative scenario. This option has been rejected by the Councils in favour of the ‘central forecast’ scenario despite the overall recommendation of the HERR that the GCLP should plan for employment in the range “between a central and higher growth scenario”.

In light of the recommendations of the HERR, the growth agenda in Greater Cambridge and the NPPF’s focus on driving innovation the GCLP should be prepared to support job creation and economic growth greater than the target currently proposed. The Councils should allocate additional employment land to meet the ‘higher jobs’ forecast or undertake further work to identify an appropriate jobs target within the range identified by the HERR. The opportunity to deliver a world class bio-medical facility at our clients site Hall Farm, Church End, Weston Colville will assist the Councils in meeting a higher jobs target by providing approximately 100 jobs. The allocation and delivery of the site will also enhance and complement Greater Cambridge’s reputation for innovation and bioscience.

Given the importance and world-class opportunity at our client’s site it is contended that this site should be allocated for employment uses regardless of needs GCLP targets. The proposal will deliver great benefits for the local community and boost the global reputation of Greater Cambridge.