Countryside supports policy H/AH in seeking to secure affordable housing provision as part of residential developments and that the 40% requirement will contribute to meeting the affordable housing needs of Cambridge. It is agreed that affordable housing should be distributed throughout new developments, however the policy should also acknowledge that appropriately sized clustering can also assist with the delivery and on-going management of affordable homes.

There is a substantial need for affordable housing across Greater Cambridge due to past under delivery and worsening affordability ratios and new development is needed to help address this unmet need. In relation to Melbourn, there are a significant number of households on the SCDC Housing Register. It is likely that some of this demand will be met through development which has already been granted permission, however there will be existing households that remain on the register, alongside new households that aren’t yet identified. Greenfield development where there is a less infrastructure burdens mean that policy aspirations for affordable housing provisions are normally more easily met.

Land to the west of Cambridge Road, Melbourn presents an excellent opportunity to deliver a substantial number of affordable homes in a highly sustainable location. Affordable housing would comprise a range of sizes, types and tenures, in a genuinely tenure blind manners, increasing the supply of high quality affordable housing to meet local needs. The proposals could also deliver an element of build to rent, helping to increase accessibility to housing for different sections of the community.