The previous spatial options considered and consulted upon included a ‘Dispersal: Villages’ option which sought to spread new homes and jobs out to the villages surrounding Cambridge. The Sustainability Appraisal indicated that the Dispersal:Villages spatial option performed relatively well against the various SA Objectives, including the same as the Preferred Option for a number of objectives (SA objectives 1, 3, 9, 10 and 14).

In addition, the Development Strategy Topic Paper indicates that the Dispersal: Villages spatial option was broadly supported by the public via the response to the First Conversation consultation, where it was the fourth most popular location. As set out in the Development Strategy Topic Paper, further consultation undertaken by the Councils also noted the opportunities associated with growth to existing villages include:
• The benefits of development for sustaining villages and schools and enhancing amenities including shops, healthcare provision and community facilities; and
• The need to provide affordable homes suitable for elderly and younger residents to continue living in villages.

The development of land at Boxworth End, Swavesey that is being promoted by Axis could deliver on both of these opportunities. The development would deliver c. 70 high quality market and affordable dwellings, including a mix of smaller and larger homes to suit a range of occupiers, from first time buyers and young families to older residents and those looking to downsize. Development in the location proposed, on the edge of Swavesey village, would also provide an additional population that would help to sustain existing local services and facilities and that would be sustainably located to promote the use of sustainable and active travel methods to access these amenities. Unlike all the other land being promoted in Swavesey, this site comprises a contained agricultural field that is already bound by existing development on three sides meaning that any further development forms a natural and small extension to the village boundary, and would not strictly result in further encroachment into open countryside. The majority of the site comprises open grazing land which is generally of limited ecological value. Features of ecological value, such as the existing pond and woodland will be retained and enhanced. In terms of the preferred growth strategy set out in the First Proposals Plan, the Councilshave proceeded with a blended strategy, considered to “meet a variety of needs and respond
to the opportunities provided by the sources of land supply”. The Councils propose to focus
a small number of new sites and allocations principally:
• within the Cambridge urban area;
• edge of Cambridge, outside of Green Belt;
• edge of Cambridge, Green Belt;
• new settlements;
• some development in the defined ‘Rural Southern Cluster’ (between the M11 and
the A1307); and
• limited development in the ‘Rest of the Rural Area’.

The land being promoted by Axis, comprising land east of Boxworth End, Swavesey, falls within the ‘Rest of Rural Area’ as defined by the Council. This follows the Dispersal: Villages option previously considered.
Our client’s site is not currently allocated for development in the consultation document.

However, the defined wider ‘Rest of Rural Area’, under Policy S/RRA, does comprise the allocation of a small number of new sites for housing and employment at villages that have good public transport access. This includes two new employment allocations proposed within close proximity of Swavesey village including land at Buckingway Business Park (Site BBP) and land to the south of A14 Services (Site SAS), both allocated to provide new
industrial and warehousing use. This provides direct employment opportunity for Swavesey
village, within easy commuting distance on foot, by bike or by bus.
Under Policy S/RRA there are only four sites allocated to provide new housing:
• Moor Lane, Melbourn – capacity for 20 homes.
• Land at Highfields – capacity for 64 homes, based on lapsed planning permission
so some uncertainty with regards to deliverability.
• Mansel Farm – capacity for 20 homes. The site is located in the green belt but in close
proximity to Cambridgeshire Guided Busway stop which provides the exceptional
circumstances for the sites release.
• Land west of Cambridge Road, Melbourn – capacity to provide 2.5ha employment land, albeit the deliverability of the employment site is yet to be confirmed, as well as capacity for 120 homes within a minor rural centre.
In total, these allocations provide for only 224 dwellings during the plan period. This equates to 2% of the additional housing need (11,640 dwellings) identified in the Plan.

We support that the ‘Dispersal: Villages’ option and the allocation of sustainable sites within or on the edge of villages and adjoining the settlement boundaries of villages within the rest of the rural area should form part of the overall development strategy. As above, we consider that the Plan needs to provide greater flexibility and resilience in its housing allocations, to ensure the Councils can meet the identified housing need at all stages of the plan period. It is therefore appropriate to allocate further small-medium size sites in sustainable locations to ensure consistent delivery across the plan period by not concentrating all development in a specific area or an over reliance on large strategic sites.
The allocation of land east of Boxworth Road comprises an appropriate and sustainable approach, noting the ability of the site to connect to existing public transport and active travel routes, make use of existing services and employment opportunities in and around Swavesey minor rural centre and provide a mix of housing for the local market. This approach is supported under Paragraph 79 of the NPPF, which requires planning policies to identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services.

Paragraph 69 of the NPPF acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that these can often be built-out relatively quickly.

We also note the recommendations of the report prepared by Lichfields, on behalf of the Land Promoters and Developers Federation and the Home Builders Federation – ‘Feeding GCLP First Proposals Plan – Promotion of Land at Boxworth End, Swavesey

the Pipeline: Assessing how many permissions are needed for housebuilders to increase the supply of homes’ (November 2021). The report seeks to explore how the delivery target for new homes (300,000 net additional homes per annum across England) could be achieved at a national level, including the important role that implementable planning permissions on medium to large sites of 50-250+ homes can play in order to meet the targets overall. The report concludes:
“To meet ambitions for 300,000 net additional homes per annum, the country will need to increase delivery by 59,200 homes per annum. This in turn illustratively necessitates between 474 to 1,385 additional implementable planning permissions on medium to large sites (50-250+ homes) making their way into the housebuilding sector”.
“This represents each district in England granting planning permission for the following,
over and above what they usually would:
a) 4-5 additional and new medium size sites each year or 4-5 additional and new large size sites which will deliver over the next five or more years; or
b) One or two additional and new medium size sites each year or one or two additional and new large size sites which will deliver over the next five or more years plus 12 or 13 new smaller sites each year”.

It is therefore considered that small and medium sized sites can make a significant contribution towards the housing need in Greater Cambridge during the plan period, and can help to fill the ‘gaps’ in the housing trajectory where housing provision falls short of the identified need and 10% buffer.

4.0 Policy S/RRA – Land adjoining 107 Boxworth End,
Swavesey
DETAILED COMMENTS ON HELAA ASSESSMENT IN ATTACHED DOCUMENT