Our client, Mr Henry d’Abo, is owner of the West Wratting Park Estate and is promoting a number of parcels of land within the Estate for allocation in the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan (GCLP). Indeed, at earlier stages of the plan preparation process a number of ‘Call for Sites’ submissions been made identifying the available sites and the development opportunity. The sites identified through our client’s previous submissions are as follows:

- Either side of Padlock Road, West Wratting – 7-8 dwellings, open space & community facilities
- Challis Field, West Wratting – 60 dwellings, open space & community facilities
- The Common, West Wratting – 15 dwellings, open space & community facilities
- Land at Weston Green (two parcels) – Parcel one to the rear of the Methodist chapel – 4 dwellings. Parcel two - Land opposite the reading room abutting the cricket pitch potentially 15 dwellings. Open space & community facilities.
- Land at Hall Farm, Church End, Weston Colville (comprising two parcels of land adjacent to each other) – 50,000-100,000 sqft (B1b/B2) and 50 affordable dwellings.

All of these sites continue to be actively promoted and are available for development as part of our client’s vision to deliver a sustainable and positive legacy for the local community, a long term ‘Estate Plan’.

It is noted that the Council has assessed the above listed sites via one appraisal process (Ref: 56213) rather than making a series of appraisals on a site by site basis. It is also noted that the associated mapping omits the farm complex from the site ‘Land at Hall Farm’. It is clear from our review that the process undertaken by the Council to date has not been robust. It is strongly recommended that Council should re-assess each of the sites promoted by our client and publish appraisals for each site at the next GCLP consultation stage.

At this time our client wishes to provide a significant update regarding the Land at Hall Farm, Church End. This farm complex is the site of a proposed world-class biomedical facility. Our client has now instructed a consultant team and Architect to advise on bringing forward a proposal at this site, with a formal planning pre-application advice submission to be made to South Cambridgeshire District Council in the coming weeks. The pre-application advice submission will be based on bringing forward a proposal for the following:

- A biomedical research and manufacturing facility of approximately 180,000sqft (16,722sqm) capable of supporting approximately 100 jobs
- A net zero-carbon building
- Associated uses such as a: a creche, community shop and café (which would be open to the wider community)
- A vehicular access which utilities the current access off Church End
- A comprehensive sustainable travel manifesto to support the proposals in perpetuity
- A comprehensive sustainable drainage and water recycling strategy
- A comprehensive landscaping and tree planting scheme across the site
- Potential residential accommodation serving the development and wider community.

Given the positive progress that our client has made in bringing forward emerging proposals new ‘Call for Sites Forms’ and a Site Location Plan are now being submitted.