Jesus College (working with Pigeon Investment Management and Lands Improvement Holdings), a private landowner and St John’s College, control land to the west of the land identified in the First Proposals as Policy S/CBC – i.e. land east and west of Great Shelford and of the London Cambridge West Anglia Rail line and south of Addenbrookes Road, which is known as part of the Cambridge South development proposal.

The land is identified in the Vision 2050 produced by CBC Limited, representing the constituent institutions at Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Vision 2050 identifies the land as an integral part of the future Campus, as it grows and diversifies to become a fully integrated Innovation District of international importance. The land is not, however, identified for potential development in the First Proposals.

In our view, the First Proposals underestimate the scale of growth for which it would be appropriate to plan in the new Local Plan; underestimate the need for and important benefits of planning for the long term future of the Campus and fail to comply with the NPPF – particularly its requirement that local plans should take a long term view in planning for developments of strategic importance.

There is a case for a greater level of housing growth in its own right than that currently proposed, where First Proposals Policy S/JH looks to provide 58,500 jobs and 44,400 homes over the period 2020-2041. The proposed level of growth is unambitious and will not address marked problems of housing shortage and affordability.

Additionally, however, sufficient housing supply is essential to support Cambridge’s role as a nationally important economic hub. If that potential is to be achieved, the level and location of housing provision needs to be planned consistently.

Ensuring the homes are affordable and in sustainable locations where employment opportunities can be easily accessed should also be a priority for the Local Plan.