It is proposed in the Draft Local Plan that the village of Fulbourn remains a Minor Rural Centre rather than being upgraded to a Rural Centre.
Rural Centres are described in the adopted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan as the most sustainable villages of the district and are described as having:
“….good access to a secondary school (either within the village or accessible by good public transport), employment opportunities, a variety of services and facilities and have good public transport services to Cambridge or a market town”
In terms of population, the 2011 Census confirmed the population of Fulbourn to be 4,673.
Fulbourn has a wide range of services and facilities. These are located across the village as a whole. The village has a High Street, where a number of retail outlets and other facilities are grouped, and this is located close to the library, health centre, primary school and St Vigor’s with All Saints Church.
In addition to a functioning High Street, there is also a 24hr Tesco superstore on the edge of the village, which is located approximately 3km from the village centre. This facility is well served by public transport to and from Fulbourn, and can be easily accessed by bicycle. This is a valuable facility for the residents of the village.
In terms of promoting sustainable modes of transport, Fulbourn has excellent bus links and dedicated cycle routes to the city of Cambridge. The Citi 1 and Citi 3 link Fulbourn to the major local employment destinations such as Capitol Park, ARM, Addenbrookes and the city centre. They also provide routes to Cambridge Station, retail destinations such as Tesco’s and Cambridge.
In addition to being within a reasonable distance of a wide range of employment opportunities in Cambridge the village has historically had a positive work population: employment ratio. This includes Fulbourn Hospital and Capital Park, as well as various units throughout the village.
Bottisham Village College provides the secondary education for the residents of Fulbourn. A direct private bus services serves Fulbourn, allowing safe and consistent access to the College.
In conclusion, Fulbourn scores highly on the factors assessed and should not reasonably fall within the category of Minor Rural Centre. Such villages are described as having ‘a lower level of services, facilities and employment than Rural Centres’. The high service provision, high quality public transport and the employment opportunities clearly demonstrates that Fulbourn should be re-classified as a Rural Centre.