Great places policies

4.46. MGH recognises that maintaining and creating great places is crucial to sustaining the quality of the area for people who live, work, study in, and visit Greater Cambridge. The overall policy aims for Great Places; for design to be responsive to people and place, to protect and enhance important landscape and heritage assets, and to achieve high quality development that meets climate change requirements, are all supported by MGH.
4.47. We recognise the importance of the recent changes to the national planning policy guidance and the introduction of a national design guide, which envisage that development will be led by local ‘design codes’ and which are informed by the traditions of an area, assisting in creating identity and distinctiveness. MGH endorse this approach to design as well as the involvement of local residents and other stakeholders via an open and transparent consultation process. We expect that developments on key sites, such as North Cambourne, should be prepared in accordance with a development brief or design code.
4.48. A significant issue for North Cambourne is demonstrating the ability to create a successful level of connectivity, and to ensure that existing and new neighbourhoods function successfully. The new crossing points need to be designed for a high degree of permeability, including easy access for active travel on foot and by cycle, and making sure that that A428 is not perceived as a barrier in any way. We consider this in more detail in our vision document.
4.49. Elsewhere in this representation we have also highlighted how consolidation of development at Cambourne, that supports its recognised role as a highly sustainable location, can assist the aims of making great places. The ability to create a scale of development that is supported by a range of services and community infrastructure, including a choice of schools and leisure facilities, can have a positive impact on the overall location.
4.50. Cambridgeshire already has a great track record in delivering well-designed new neighbourhoods. Emerging guidance in the form of the national design guide and updates to the PPG has re-enforced this process, and the implications of the work carried out by the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission will inform revisions to the NPPF. The Greater Cambridge authority will need to ensure that resources are in place so that proposals that come forwards are well considered, maximising the benefits that new development can bring, including those delivered by high quality design that relate to all aspects of health, social inclusion and wellbeing.