2.1: How much Development and Where? (P22)

We support suggestion that the Greater Cambridge Plan wants “our rural villages to continue to thrive and sustain their local services…” We object however to subsequent suggestion that the plan actively seeks not to “encourage lots of new houses in places where car travel is the easiest or only way to get around.”

The provision of the appropriate number of new houses within rural Cambridge will be fundamental to ensuring villages thrive and survive. If the vast majority of growth is to be focused in a few strategic locations then it is clear that both the sphere of influence of such areas will grow and present threat to village facilities and the lack of growth will hinder further villages ability to support their communities.

The strategy pre-supposes that sustainability policy should be driven by transport considerations alone. How people work and live are evolving rapidly. Travel is only one issue that must be considered in the overall sustainability of future housing provision.

Recommendation: We strongly encourage that housing provision is facilitated in village locations that allows such settlements to grow comparatively alongside the strategic locations identified for growth.