6.0 POLICY S/RRA: SITE ALLOCATIONS IN THE REST OF THE RURAL AREA

6.1 In terms of residential development, there are extremely limited emerging allocations within the villages of Greater Cambridgeshire. Discounting those sites that already benefit from planning permission, development in villages in the ‘Rest of the Rural Area’ is restricted to the following: • S/RRA/ML – The Moor, Moor Lane, Melbourn – 20 dwellings • S/RRA/H – Land at Highfields (phase 2) Caldecote – 64 dwellings • S/RRA/MF – Land at Mansel Farm, Station Road, Oakington – 20 dwellings • S/RRA/CR – Land to the West of Cambridge Road, Melbourn – 120 dwellings

6.2 Martin Grant Homes supports the opportunity for growth in villages. Villages are often located in highly sustainable locations, and provide significant opportunities at appropriate scales, to meet objectively assessed housing and employment needs. This brings significant benefits to the future vitality of villages, especially those such as Coton which have seen very limited growth in recent years. A failure to consider the villages as appropriate locations for growth could lead to a stagnation of these villages, and will locate development in less sustainable locations.

6.3 Village development will assist in meeting immediate delivery rates, which will benefit if larger allocations are delayed coming forward. No sites are allocated for development within Coton, despite its proximity to west Cambridge and the investment in infrastructure now (Comberton Greenway) and in the future (Cambourne to Cambridge Busway). This represents a missed opportunity to provide truly sustainable development in a village location.

6.4 Martin Grant Homes is keen to understand how the emerging sites have been chosen and as such have sought to compare these sites to Silverdale Close. A study has therefore been undertaken to compare the village allocations that form emerging allocations within the Local Plan. This study also includes the following residential sites allocated within emerging policy S/RSC: • S/RSC/HW - Land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane, Great Shelford – 100 dwellings • S/RSC/MF – Land at Maarnford Farm, Hunts Road, Duxford - 60 dwellings

6.5 The following table shows a summary of the assessment proformas undertaken by the Council and shows the results for each of the sites. It shows that when compared to the emerging allocations, the Site has an equal if not better assessment result: Site Suitable Available Achievable Silverdale Close, Coton. Amended to ‘amber’ as described in chapter 3 above The Moor, Moor Lane, Melbourn Land at Highfield (phase 2) Caldecote Land at Mansel Farm, Station Rd, Oakington Landscape and Townscape & Historic Environment impacts Land W of Cambridge Rd, Melbourn Land between Hinton Way & Mingle Lane, Great Shelford Land at Maarnford Farm, Hunts Rd, Duxford

6.6 It has been noted within chapter 3 of these representations that the assessment of suitability for the Silverdale Close site is incorrect. Necessary rights of way are available into the Site, and as such, the ‘red’ assessment is shown in the table above as the more appropriate ‘amber’ assessment. The Coton site would therefore score no worse than any of the emerging allocations.

6.7 The Oakington site also has a ‘red’ assessment for suitability and this is based on landscape and townscape impacts, and historic environment impacts. On the former, the proforma states: “The proposed development of 102 dwellings (approximately 27 dph) would produce a large, dense area of development on the village edge that would be highly visible in the landscape at odds with the linear form and lower existing housing densities. It would also significantly reduce the separation between Oakington and Westwick.”

6.8 It is acknowledged that this assessment is based on a larger area for a larger quantum of development. However, the points regarding the linear form of development and coalescence remain pertinent to the smaller scheme. On the historic environment, the proforma states “Within 100m of a Conservation Area. Would cause significant harm to Conservation Area. Development of the site would cause substantial harm or severe or significant “Less than substantial harm” to a designated heritage asset or the setting of a designated heritage asset which cannot be reasonably mitigated.”

6.9 The reduced area to the emerging Oakington allocation is situated directly adjacent to the Conservation, and the relationship of a reduced scheme would not be altered. As a result, the text above from the proforma remains relevant and there remains no mitigation proposal to ensure a satisfactory relationship to the Conservation Area. No evidence is put forward by the Council to demonstrate that a reduced area mitigates this harm.

6.10 Both the Oakington and Great Shelford sites are also located within the Cambridge Green Belt. A study of the Green Belt Assessment has also taken place to understand the potential harm to the purposes of the Green Belt. The Purposes are described as follows: • Cambridge Purpose 1 (to preserve the unique character of Cambridge as a compact, dynamic city with a thriving historic centre) – for land to contribute to this purpose it needs to be located in the immediate vicinity of Cambridge • Cambridge Purpose 2 (to maintain and enhance the quality of Cambridge’s setting) - a two-element approach was taken considering: 1) the extent to which land constitutes countryside (that is to say has a rural character) based on its usage and distinction from an inset settlement; and 2) the extent to which land forms or contains other features or aspects that contribute to the quality of Cambridge’s setting. Cambridge Purpose 3 (to prevent communities in the environs of Cambridge from merging into one another and with the city) – an analysis was undertaken of the distribution of villages in and around the Green Belt and the physical features that separate and/or connect them from each other or from Cambridge, in order to determine the fragility of each settlement gap

6.11 The scale of Green Belt harm is listed as low, moderate, moderate-high, high, and very high. The table below summarises the Green Belt assessments for Coton, Oakington and Great Shelford.

SEE TABLE IN ATTCHED DOCUMENT

6.12 The table above therefore confirms that the Site would result in a lower impact to the Green Belt purposes than the two Green Belt sites that form emerging allocations. To further justify this point, a Green Belt Assessment undertaken by EDP (see Appendix 2) relating to the Site only (rather than the wider parcel) concludes the Site to have an overall ‘Low’ rating when assessed against the five purposes of the Green Belt noted in the NPPF.

6.13 No justification is put forward by the Council as to why these two sites are put forward for Green Belt release ahead of sites such as Silverdale Close, Coton, which score more successfully in terms of reduced Green Belt impact. Topic Paper 1 suggests that the proximity to the bus stop for 20 dwellings would provide the exceptional circumstances to provide Green Belt release. The Topic Paper does not reference the landscape and historic environment harm identified in the site proforma. However, the benefits of 20 dwellings in this location is not considered to overcome the moderate/high harm to the Green Belt. Green Belt release at Great Shelford appears to be based entirely on proximity to the railway station, despite moderate/high Green Belt harm being identified.

6.14 The result of these two assessments is that the Site is more appropriate for development and Green Belt release than both the Mansel Farm, Oakington and the Hinton Way/Mingle Lane site at Great Shelford.

6.15 The other sites are located outside of the Green Belt. However, their distance away from Cambridge is a disadvantage. The addition of a further 140 dwellings in Melbourn will increase pressure on the A10 and would likely see a reliance on the motor car. This would also be the case for the Duxford and Caldecote allocations, villages with limited services and facilities. Coton however benefits from the Comberton Greenway and will be on the proposed Busway route between Cambridge and Cambourne. It also benefits from proximity to Cambridge, ensuring that it provides valuable alternatives to the motor car for future residents.

6.16 The Coton site should therefore be considered more favourable and allocated for 77 dwellings, which would mean less Green Belt release or countryside development at more inappropriate sites.