How much:
Pigeon agrees with the assertion that over recent years, jobs have been created faster than new homes have been built, with the resulting increase in house prices and economic in commuting. We support a strategy that seeks to address this through planning for sufficient homes that meets the identified need, including affordable need. However, the amount of new housing proposed, although above the Standard Methodology, is not of sufficient scale to reverse commuting patterns, or provide for sufficient affordable housing provision.

Commuting Patterns

As already noted, if the Local Plan is to achieve the Vision of a big reduction in carbon emissions, then sufficient homes should be provided which allow for those currently working in Greater Cambridge to live within the area (in addition to meeting the needs arising from future job creation). Such an approach of better aligning job and housing growth would promote more sustainable commuting patterns and deliver significant environmental, social and economic benefits.

Affordable Housing

There is both an acute general need for affordable homes across Greater Cambridge, and a specific need in rural communities which is unlikely to be met through rural exception sites given high land values. The amount of new housing proposed, particularly when taking into account the level of new jobs forecast, will result in a significant need for additional affordable housing. A greater total number of new homes is therefore necessary to meet the identified affordable need, and contribute to achieving sustainable communities.

We also note the resulting delivery strategy set out in the Council’s Housing Delivery Study for Greater Cambridge October 2021 is expected to result in the Council having only a 5.15 years supply of housing land in the years 2025 to 2030. This could give rise to delivery concerns if there is a change in circumstances, further putting pressure on the delivery of affordable housing. We suggest that increasing the current 10% buffer to 20% would give greater robustness to the overall supply position.

Where:
The general focus on strategic sites and continued growth or densification of existing allocated areas is noted as a strategy for delivering large numbers of sustainable homes in the medium/long term. This strategy risks under-delivery where market and other factors may hold back major investment in strategic sites, whether due to confidence about necessary infrastructure, market absorption rates or other unexpected factors. Furthermore, densification will not necessarily result in increased delivery rates, but rather extended delivery times for these new settlements (i.e. build out rates will remain unchanged). Pigeon suggests a more balanced strategy is adopted with a larger number of new sites included, where these would offer genuine active and/or public transport choices. Such an approach would conform with the Vision and Aims of the plan, whilst offering greater resilience to any changes in circumstances through a more balanced portfolio. Moreover, such an approach could help to facilitate some of the other ambitions of local communities relating to local infrastructure provision (such as the provision of public open space), and also assist Small and Medium sized builders to enter the market thus increasing delivery rates.

Pigeon suggest the strategy is amended, with additional sites identified in sustainable villages which benefit from good active/public transport links.

One such example is Hardwick where no growth is proposed despite the village’s location along the Cambourne-Cambridge public transport corridor. Hardwick is within cycling distance of both Cambridge and Cambourne/Bourne Airfield (where the new East-West railway station is proposed), and walking/cycling distance of the Park and Ride facility proposed at Scotland Farm.