The consultation document outlines the ‘preferred development strategy’ for Greater Cambridge and defines the intention to direct development where it has the least climate impact, where active and public transport is the natural choice, where green infrastructure can be delivered alongside new development, and where jobs, services and facilities can be located near to where people live, whilst ensuring all necessary utilities can be provided in a sustainable way.
The strategy notes that development will therefore make use of brownfield opportunities within the Cambridge Urban Area, urban extensions and new settlements, but only proposes a very limited amount of development in rural areas.
At this early stage in the Local Plan preparation process (Regulation 18), further consideration of sites suitable for, amongst other development typologies, specialist housing for older people (including Extra Care development) in sustainable locations should be undertaken. There are opportunities, such as the submission site, to deliver Integrated Retirement Communities which provides Extra Care housing in sustainable locations which will also serve to support rural services, improve the vitality and viability of villages, and their shops and facilities whilst also enhancing local amenities including healthcare.
The proposed development strategy focuses on a number of larger, strategic developments which will not support the existing villages and will not deliver the type of housing required to meet the housing needs of different groups (including older people) and needs of local communities in these locations.
The Plan needs to support conscious efforts to ensure the delivery of housing to meet the need for specialist housing for older people, which is described in government policy guidance (PPG) as critical. (Paragraph: 001 Reference ID: 63-001-20190626)
There is a significant amount of variability within the sector (as acknowledged within the PPG), which also recognised that the location of housing is a key consideration for older people who may be considering whether to move. It is not considered that the proposed development strategy takes into consideration the needs of the sector, including the allowance of choice, and the approach currently advocated a will not support the varying models available to provide Extra Care housing and retirement communities.
The PPG identifies the different typologies of specialist housing, each designed to meet the diverse needs of older people and identifies that specialist housing needs differ dependant on the level of care needed. The PPG makes it clear that diverse housing models will need to be considered and the provision of one type of specialist housing will not meet the care requirements of older people whose range of needs will differ greatly.
The characteristics of Extra Care accommodation, including the level of services provided and support available, materially affects the requirements of operators and the conclusions on those locations that are potentially suitable for development. The characteristics of Integrated Retirement Communities which provide Extra Care housing also enable consideration of where this can contribute towards mixed and balanced communities and sustainable growth in rural areas (in accordance with NPPF 2021 paragraph 79). There may be cases, such as at Comberton, where delivery alongside general needs housing would promote social interaction and the delivery of mixed and balanced communities.
This necessitates an objective assessment of alternatives to the Council’s proposed strategy to meet general housing needs where this would ensure a reasonable prospect of meeting needs for specialist housing in full.