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 very 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 land west of Linton would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including primary schools, secondary school, convenience stores and post office, village hall, health services including a medical centre, public houses, cafes and restaurants, and bus services. The promoted development includes land for a GP surgery and early years facility.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the 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 the 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 medium sized sites such as land west of Linton, as promoted by Bloor Homes Eastern, 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 promoted development by Bloor Homes Eastern at land west of Linton is accessible by walking, cycling and public transport to the services and facilities within the village and to employment at Granta Park and Babraham Research Centre. The site would be well-related to the transport infrastructure improvements proposed in the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Cambridge South East Transport project, which includes a new public transport route into Cambridge, a greenway/cycle route through Linton to Granta Park and Babraham Research Campus, and a rural travel hub at Linton. The Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections project also proposes a more frequent bus service for Linton. As such, there will be realistic alternatives to the car for travel to and from Linton once the Cambridge South East Transport project and Making Connections project have been delivered.

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 50 affordable dwellings in Linton for those with a local connection to the village. This survey was from 2019 so the need will more than likely have increased. This identified need would not be met without allocations in the village. The promoted development by Bloor Homes Eastern at land west of Linton would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village and a proportion of self/custom build housing plots.

For all these reasons, additional medium scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rural southern cluster, including Linton, because it is accessible by sustainable modes of transport, it is well related to employment opportunities, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within the village, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in the villages which would not be met via other means.

The Bloor Homes Eastern representations to the assessment of the land west of Linton site in the HELAA (Site Ref. 51047) comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted development and explain how those constraints would be addressed. In summary, strategic landscaping would be provided as part of the promoted development, the existing public rights of way and the watercourse would be retained an incorporated into the development, the setting of heritage assets would remain free of built development, and open space and green infrastructure would be delivered.

A revised Vision Document has been prepared for the promoted development and is submitted with these representations. The key considerations for the design of the promoted development are as follows:
• Access / junction arrangements off the A1307.
• Protection of the River Granta corridor and associated flood plain while connecting pedestrian routes to existing footpath known as PROW 146/1.
• Conservation of woodland and hedgerows within the site area, through the provision of green space.
• Protection of the easement associated with the high voltage power line to the west.
• Conserving all Public Right of Way through the Site, and in particular creating strong pedestrian and cycle connections to the future Linton Greenway which will adapt PROW 146/2.
• Responding positively to heritage assets just north of the Site at Little Linton, including considering the positive attributes found in Linton Conservation Area.
• Retain existing rights of access for Linton Village College.
• Potential noise buffer/mitigations measures along A1307 Cambridge Road.

The design of the Concept Masterplan for the promoted development is described in detail in Section 5 of the revised Vision Document.

The landscape strategy for the promoted development seeks to:
• Deliver both natural and semi-natural landscapes.
• Retain and enhance existing trees and hedgerows wherever possible.
• Deliver a network of varied spaces, placing nature at its heart through the integration of a range of recreation spaces.
• Deliver new allotment space providing the opportunity for local community food growing and to help improve the biodiversity and habitat assets for the site.
• Deliver a range of multi-functional green spaces.
• Maintain the existing Public Rights of Way running through the site.

The benefits of the promoted development are as follows
• New homes to meet a range of needs, including first time buyers, families, and older people.
• A proportion of much needed new affordable homes.
• New Early Years site to support the existing facilities in Linton.
• New modern purpose built GP surgery for the village.
• Extensive areas of amenity space and green infrastructure.
• Introduction of a car club on site and communal EV charging points.
• High quality scheme which responds to its landscape and environmental context.
• Key views to the Rivey Hill and the water tower retained.
• Existing trees and hedgerows retained and enhanced within green corridors and new native planting.
• Ecological enhancements and an overall Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Direct connection to the proposed Linton Greenway, together with walking and cycling infrastructure to allow residents to use active travel.
• Convenient access to existing bus routes.
• Close to schools, shops, and community infrastructure.

The revised Vision Document could form the basis for a site specific allocation of the land west of Linton

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rural southern cluster includes an additional residential allocation at land west of Linton.

It is requested that land west of Linton is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 20.83 Ha
• Capacity for circa 300 dwellings, including affordable housing and self/custom build plots
• A GP Surgery Site
• An Early Years Facility site
• Delivery of open space and green infrastructure
• Connect with proposed Linton Greenway through the site
• Development should address the following constraints:
o Strategic landscaping at southern site boundary
o Acoustic noise bund adjacent to A1307 Cambridge Road
o Avoid harm to heritage assets
o Maintain all existing Public Rights of Way through the site
o Maintain easement associated with the high voltage power line through western part of site