This policy identifies an objectively assessed need of 44,400 new homes and 58,500 new jobs to be provided in the Greater Cambridge area up to 2041.
Continued economic growth across the Greater Cambridge area is of fundamental importance and needs to be properly considered and planned for through the Local Plan. Greater Cambridge forms part of the nationally significant Oxford to Cambridge Growth Arc, thus the role the GCLP plays is of pivotal importance in delivering transformational scales of growth.
It is essential that economic growth opportunities are recognised and maximised and the Councils work alongside other LPAs in the Arc to ensure that the potential is realised through robust housing and job requirements.
The Local Plan First Proposals document acknowledges the Councils’ commitment to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal. If the scale of job growth required by this is achieved, around 2,900 homes a year would be needed across Greater Cambridge, resulting in a housing requirement of 66,700 homes between 2017-2040- a significantly higher figure than the initial policy direction suggests.
Gladman strongly believe that the new Local Plan should be planning for a significantly higher number of homes than the minimum identified by the standard method if the plan is to align with the scale of economic growth planned for the Arc. While the housing requirement in this plan are above the standard method figure, Gladman believe that this figure will need to be higher yet, in order to achieve the economic growth aspirations of the area.
In this regard, Gladman refer to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER), published in 2018 which sets out a compelling case for higher levels of housing across the Greater Cambridge area. Of particular note is Key Recommendation 5, which points to the need to review the housing requirement based on the need for high economic growth. Importantly, the report warns of significant negative impacts to both the national and local economy should housing needs continue to be constrained.
The Arc aims to create 1,000,000 jobs before 2050. For this target to be realised, LPAs across the Arc must work together to ensure that appropriate job requirement figures are allocated to authorities that are capable of providing employment. At present the first proposals consultation suggests looking to providing 58,500 jobs between up to 2041. Gladman consider that Greater Cambridgeshire should be seeking to deliver significantly greater economic and employment growth to ensure the Arc economic aspirations are realised.
Further to this, the Local Plan needs to recognise the importance of the Councils’ position within the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Arc and the implications of this in terms of growth in the area. The Arc is a key economic priority and one of the publicly stated key objectives of the Arc is to deliver up to 1 million high quality homes across the area, up to 2050. Gladman believe it is of imperative importance that the new Local Plan seeks to deliver a higher number of homes than required by the standard method to ensure that it is in line with nationally significant economic growth. As outlined in the PPG, the standard method for assessing local housing need is the minimum starting point in determining the number of homes needed in an area. It doesn’t account for future government policy, changes in economic circumstances or other demographic changes that might affect the level of housing required in an area. For this reason, it is necessary to consider that housing need in an area may be higher than the standard method calculation and the plan should be positively prepared for this.
Gladman reserve the right to comment on housing and job growth proposals when these are developed further and the Draft Plan is issued for public consultation.