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. The promoted development at Meadow Drift, Elsworth would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including the primary school, public houses and sports and social club.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting 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 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. It is requested that small/medium sized sites such as land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth are allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including those that are easily deliverable.

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 Transport Statement that supported the previous application (S/4550/17/FL) for the proposed development of Land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth concluded that the location of the site and the local transport services available are such that future residents would have a realistic choice of travel modes. The site promoted by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is accessible to all the services and facilities in the village by walking and cycling and public transport.

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 12 affordable dwellings in Elsworth for those with a local connection to the village. This identified need would not be met without allocations in Elsworth. The promoted development by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village.

For all these reasons, small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Elsworth, 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.

Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group’s representations to the assessment of the Meadow Drift, Elsworth site in the HELAA (Site Ref. 40514) comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted development and explain how those constraints would be addressed. In summary, there are no significant constraints to development at Meadow Drift, Elsworth.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes an additional allocation in Elsworth at Meadow Drift.

It is requested that land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 2.1 Ha
• Capacity for approx. 16 dwellings, including affordable housing, school car park and drop off area, ecological mitigation area and new allotments