Countryside support the proposed direction of Policy GP/PP in seeking to set a strategic vision for achieving high quality design in Greater Cambridge across both urban and rural areas. Countryside support the inclusion of design criteria across the themes of community, connectivity, climate and character, reflecting the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth, which Countryside have a track record of delivering high quality proposals in accordance with. The proposed policy also accords with the NPPF which states that the planning process should achieve high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places.

Land to the west of Cambridge Road, Melbourn addresses these design themes as follows:

● Community – Through delivering a landscape led development which responds to its context by retaining and reinforcing landscape buffers and delivering high quality open and green spaces. The proposed looped walking route will create a new recreation and landscape asset for the village. The proposals will also provide a range of house types within close proximity to services and facilities, and through applying their Building Communities strategy, Countryside will engage with and empower the community to ensure the development meets local needs;
● Connectivity – The site is in a sustainable location, whereby future residents would not be reliant on the private car for their daily needs. Melbourn is one of the largest villages in the District and has a wide range of services and facilities, including Meldreth station, which are within walking and cycling distance of the site. In addition, the proposals include for the delivery of a pedestrian route from the West of the site along ‘the Drift’ which links to Moat Lane. This will provide new residents with enhanced pedestrian connectivity to the adjacent Science Park and the Melbourn High Street, encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport;
● Climate - Countryside has recently committed to becoming a net zero company by 2030 and have released a report ‘Pathfinder: Marking out the route to Net Zero’6 which sets out the principles that Countryside will follow to respond to the global call to arms for climate action. Land to the west of Cambridge Road, Melbourn will benefit from Countryside’s action plan to deliver on its commitments. To achieve their targets Countryside are examining their construction and manufacturing operations and also the design of their homes and development. Measures include improving fabric efficiency, installing renewable energy and recovery systems, switching from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil for on-site plant machinery, using suppliers with similar climate change targets, increasing tree planting and reducing embodied carbon by using timber frame homes.
● Character - a landscape-led approach is central to the design and layout of the scheme, as shown in the Illustrative Masterplan which shows how the site could come forward. Furthermore, the promoter, Countryside Properties, are a leading national housebuilder who have won numerous design awards and are committed to delivering a high quality development.

6 https://www.countrysideproperties.com/sites/default/files/2021-11/Pathfinder%20-%20Marking%20out%20the%20route%20to%20net%20zero.pdf