Support

Representation ID: 200094

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Mr + Mrs A.F Jones

Number of people: 2

Having fully studied the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan & made one objection we are writing to express our very strong support overall for this detailed & well researched Plan which we believe covers the many aspects involved in future plans & changes in the South Newnham Neighbourhood.

We particularly reference Page71, 'Implementation & Monitoring', which describes how this Plan will be implemented within the City/County wide planning with the monitoring & any necessary updating planned(8.7), so keeping it effective & relevant.

Support

Representation ID: 200095

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Mr Lewis Neil Petersen

I acknowledge the very careful work that has gone into preparing this plan. I support its policies but make the following observations on 2 of them:

Policy 12:

Policy 12 (a) is particularly important because of the density of housing in the neighbourhood and the high number of extensions and modifications to existing properties which have happened and are likely to continue. Careful monitoring of applications is needed to protect against loss of amenity (due to massing and visual dominance) and loss of privacy (due to overlooking) as these negatively impact the character of the neighbourhood and the lives of those living here. Amenity needs as much protection as possible.

Policy 14:

Policy 14 aims at retaining vegetated property boundaries and front gardens. This is also the intention of Policy 11(g). Paragraph 7.7.17 which outlines the introduction/context to Policy 14 mentions the pressure on residents to pave over front gardens to create car parking. Such paving over has a negative impact on the character of a neighbourhood. As currently worded policy 14 states: “All existing vegetated boundaries (hedgerows, trees and front gardens) shall be retained or enhanced”. That wording, together with the wording of Policy 11(g), aims to protect these boundaries against such proposals which would negatively impact the character of the neighbourhood but could be strengthened by adding the words ”and front gardens shall not be paved over for car parking”.

Comment

Representation ID: 200096

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Anglian Water Services Ltd

Anglian Water has previously submitted comments on the pre-submission version (Reg 14) of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Overall, we are supportive of the policy ambitions within the neighbourhood plan. I can confirm, we have no further comments to make and wish the neighbourhood plan group every success in taking this forward.

Support

Representation ID: 200097

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Cllr Jean Glasberg

I am writing as a Newnham ward councillor to give my full support to the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

As Chair of the Newnham Croft Residents’ Association I was involved from the start with setting up the Forum in 2016 and organising the early workshops to consult with the community about the aspects of South Newnham that were valued as well as those that people would like to see improved. They were well attended and residents were keen to participate and give their views, which were incorporated into the vision statement. This was circulated in a leaflet to every household, and once again the feedback was very positive.

Drop-in events were organised to keep people updated and give the opportunity to share progress and get feedback to make sure the Plan was on-track and reflecting the wishes of local people. I was also involved in visiting representatives of several of the local businesses to share details of the proposals, especially those that related to designation as Buildings of Local Interest to make clear what was involved.

Many residents were involved in gathering information for the Evidence Base, and I co-ordinated the efforts of those who undertook to do the street appraisals. Over 20 people did the main part of this, mostly working in pairs with a template to help guide them and ensure we could standardise the outcome to some extent. It was a huge undertaking and we were grateful to the volunteers who gave up so many hours of their time to walk the streets and record all the key features. While much information already existed for the parts in the West Cambridge and Newnham Croft Conservation area, this allowed it to be updated, and also provided similar information for the places that were outside the Conservation Areas, such as the Grantchester Road/Fulbrook Road area and Gough Way.

I see this as a key contribution that the Neighbourhood Plan can make to the policies in the Local Plan - where the Local Plan requires new developments to respond to context, the NP adds granularity and sets out in detail what the context is for each part of South Newnham. This should be a considerable help to people wanting to develop in the area and also to planners and councillors when making decisions on applications in South Newnham.

As described in the Plan, much of the character of the area comes from the urban/rural interface and as well as the detailed appraisals of the streetscape a very comprehensive piece of work.by a local ecologist sets out the biodiversity of our green spaces. This reflects her in-depth knowledge of these places which are recognised by our whole community as so important, and should be used by planners to protect them for future generations to enjoy.

In conclusion, the policies now set out in the completed Neighbourhood Plan with the help of planning consultants and GCSP are well drafted to reflect the original vision of residents and I hope will be approved to sit alongside the Local Plan and NPPF to support future development in South Newnham.

Support

Representation ID: 200098

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Bruce Ragsdale

I am writing in strong support of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan. We moved from the United States three years ago and purchased a house on Eltisley Avenue. We feel privileged to live in the very special and welcoming community of South Newnham, and find the plan reflects and supports so much of what we have come to value about the neighbourhood.

I had an opportunity to read the Neighbourhood Plan in the final stages of its development and found it to be an incredibly informative and accurate survey of the community, and I believe its approval will be an important support for preserving the character of the area as Cambridge continues to grow. The plan identifies the neighbourhood's variety of architectural styles, the assortment of shops, a thriving pub, a church, and a cherished school that all contribute to the vibrancy of a veritable village in close proximity to the centre of Cambridge. That sense of village cultivates a healthy attachment to place and community that helps to make Cambridge such a special place to live. I believe the plan will prove invaluable in promoting that sense of community and connectivity and in guiding decisions about growth.

The most impressive elements of the plan are its detail and its sensitivity, rooted in an open and inclusive consultation with residents, all balanced with an understanding of the regulations governing planning in Cambridge.

One of the unique and irreplaceable characteristics of South Newnham is the accessibility to green spaces that do far more than contribute to biodiversity; They are gathering places for many residents and perhaps the most important single component in community building. We value nothing more than our proximity to Lammas Land, Paradise Nature Reserve, and, especially, Grantchester Meadows, where we visit with our dog every day. I think the designation of the critical Skaters' Meadow Footpath as a Local Green Space will ensure that this community asset continues to enhance the lives of residents in South Newnham. This is a very fragile area that deserves protection.

Support

Representation ID: 200099

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Janet Whitaker

I write to comment on the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan which I strongly support. I moved to Cambridge in 2005 and have lived in Newnham since 2016. I know the area well and have walked though Newnham Croft and into Grantchester Meadows along Skaters’ Meadow Footpath since 2005 through to the present day, and have regularly used all the shops and community facilities since 2016.

The description in the Neighbourhood Plan, the Evidence Base and Street Appraisals is accurate and characterises the area well, and creates a strong sense of what it is like both to live there and visit. As a resident, I have received leaflets advertising the Neighbourhood Plan and have regularly attended residents' meetings on the Plan, the first being a community workshop in early 2017. I have read and submitted comments on the Plan several times. I am surprised that the Plan has taken as long as it has to write and that it has been through a number of iterations. I think that each version has been an improvement on the previous one, and am pleased that the Plan now includes policies addressing climate change, which I strongly support. In particular, I and other residents that I have talked to admire the commitment and dedication of the team that has worked on the Plan. They have seen the project through to completion when they could so easily have given up on the project. Having observed the process for South Newnham, I am a convert to the value of Neighbourhood Planning and would like to see other communities develop plans for their neighbourhoods. The Vision that is expressed in the Plan is exactly what I would wish for somewhere where I live.

Policies 1 to 4 on the open spaces and the environment appear to have changed and become more specific since the first version of the Plan, and this is aligned with what residents want to see. The increased focus on our local environment and on Biodiversity and Biodiversity Net Gain is important and valued, and it is good going forward that developments will be required to demonstrate a quantifiable Biodiversity Net Gain. Having walked through Newnham and along Skaters’ Meadow Footpath since 2005, I am saddened that since Covid the footpath has been allowed to become a rutted track due to car, van and campervan parking that has destroyed the verges and the surface of the footpath and made the footpath much less safe for pedestrians. It is only since a big storm brought down a huge low hanging branch and Covid that cars have started parking under the old willow tree and are now putting it at danger. I totally support Policy 4 to establish Local Green Spaces and include Skaters’ Meadow Footpath and Barton Road Verges among the Local Green Spaces. Both are important barometers of Cambridge’s and Newnham’s support for trees, verges and the environment, and in 2024, neither should be sacrificed to make more space for motor vehicles and make the climate emergency that the next generations face more severe than it needs to be.

The footpaths, cycleways, shops, Lammas Court old peoples’ home, and South Newnham’s historic buildings are all central to the community and serve not just the residents of South Newnham, but much further afield. Visitors by the thousand come on foot to visit Grantchester Meadows in the summer, people come for across Cambridge to shop at Newnham’s baker and butcher, go to folk and jazz music nights at the Social and Sports Club, and attend St Mark’s Church. I therefore wholeheartedly support policies 5 to 8 that protect the varying community facilities.

As with the policies on the open spaces, Policies 9 to 14 appear to have changed substantially since the first version of the Plan. I believe the final Plan’s policies achieve a good balance in preserving and protecting today’s housing stock and gardens (policies 11 and 14) so that South Newnham remains a nice place to live, whilst requiring future development to have better energy and water efficiency (Policy 9) and protect against flooding (Policy 10), so that new developments are environmentally responsible and fit comfortably with the existing housing styles. Speaking as a resident, Policies 12 and 13 are really important to me. When existing houses are extended, it is important that the comfort and happiness of neighbours is not destroyed by massive new extensions that do not fit the location and that overlook and dominate neighbouring houses, There have been a number of such cases and I welcome Policies 11 and 12 that will protect existing residents. Policy 13 is also important to residents in that it will allow larger family houses to be carefully sub-divided to allow for changing family needs whilst retaining family housing stock.

Assuming that Policies 1 to 14 work as expected and as I hope, South Newnham should be able to both face the challenges of climate change and remain a good place to live for residents of all ages in line with the Plan’s Vision. Policy 15, Conserving and Enhancing Existing Views and Street Scenes provides me with a final assurance of the quality and effectiveness of the Plan, as it brings together all the environmental, community and housing elements of the Plan and provides a final check that all the policies contained within the Plan achieve what they set out to do.

As a consequence, I fully support the Plan and its policies and look forward to it being adopted.

Comment

Representation ID: 200100

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Hertfordshire County Council

Many thanks for the opportunity to make a representation on the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan, but Hertfordshire County Council have no comment to make.

Support

Representation ID: 200101

Received: 16/06/2024

Respondent: Andrew Whitaker

I am writing in support of the Neighbourhood Plan as a Newnham resident and a member of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum Committee as I believe: (i) that the Plan process has successfully engaged with residents and stakeholders throughout, and (ii) that the policies in the submission version of the Plan strike a fair balance that reflects the views of a majority of residents and stakeholders.

I have outlined below evidence that underpins this thinking.

As part of the writing team, I helped prepare the Consultation Statement, and in doing this talked to leading Forum members from 2016-18 and reviewed Forum correspondence from the time. I learnt that the consultation was very extensive and thorough: leaflets to all properties, posters throughout the neighbourhood, letters/emails and face to face meetings with businesses, shops and institutional owners of land and property, which included the 8 Cambridge University Colleges with land and property in South Newnham Neighbourhood Area and 1 College in Old Newnham. 6 of the 8 Colleges in the neighbourhood area engaged with the Forum. The Forum invited participation from residents and stakeholders in a series of 3 workshops that were run May 2016 – Jan 2017 to kick off the neighbourhood planning process. Building on the previous workshops, the 3rd workshop generated the input used to draft the Plan’s Vision for the neighbourhood area.

On the back of the workshops, the South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum website was set up in April 2017, followed shortly by the first formal Forum meeting in May 2017, to which all previously invited residents and stakeholders were invited. The Forum website has since been the vehicle to provide readily accessible information on Forum activities and the status of Plan preparation to residents and stakeholders. In addition to posting routine information on the website, subsequent key meetings and events, such as the first presentation of the draft Plan in 2019, the redesignation process May-Jun 2022, and the Regulation 14 Consultation in Jun-Jul 2023 have been posted on the website, advertised on posters in the neighbourhood area, and for the Regulation 14 Consultation, 95 stakeholders were written to, including the 8 Cambridge University Colleges with land and property in South Newnham.

Over 130 people participated in the initial workshops, many attending more than one session, and this group has continued to participate in subsequent Forum meetings and drop-in events through to the consultation sessions associated with the Regulation 14 Consultation in Jun-Jul 2023. Today’s Forum membership is 97. A team of 35 residents participated in collecting data for the Street Appraisals and the Evidence Base through 2017 and 2018, and given the time that it has taken to write the Plan, which was disrupted by Covid, residents have revised the Street Appraisals and Evidence Base to keep them up-to-date.

Pivotal to the Plan is the Vision for the neighbourhood that was developed from the 2016-2017 workshops, and whilst Plan policies have been revised and re-written multiple times between 2018 and 2024, they have consistently supported achieving the Vision that was penned in 2018. The specific wording of Policies has sought to balance the diverse and sometimes conflicting input received month by month and year by year, and has moved with the times to reflect society’s growing concern with the environment and the increased understanding of the threat posed to Biodiversity. The guiding principles of the Vision seek to ensure that South Newnham remains a great place to live both now and for future generations by achieving a balance between our natural environment, our economic and social infrastructure, and our mix and style of housing stock as we transition to a low and ultimately zero carbon society.

The period of drafting the Plan, 2018-2024, has seen a big increase in local concern for the environment, a sense that is heightened as the Cam river corridor and flood plain is an important part of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Area. As a consequence, a number of policies have been extensively revised so that 6 of the 15 policies are now explicitly concerned with protecting the environment: protecting and enhancing biodiversity, delivering biodiversity net gain, reducing light pollution, creating local green spaces, improving the energy and water efficiency of buildings, and responding to climate change and the risk of local flooding. The influence of residents in pushing to redraft these policies has been material and there is strong support for these green policies, which is not surprising when Green Party candidates have won the 2023 and 2024 Local Council elections for Newnham Ward.

The challenge of drafting Policies to achieve a fair balance has been most obvious in Policies SNNP11 to SNNP14. In an expensive and desirable area, people and organisations buying and owning land and buildings frequently submit planning applications seeking to maximise their site’s development potential. As a statutory consultee, the Forum frequently comments on planning applications and has engaged with house owners and property developers, both supporting and objecting to proposed developments. In all cases, the Forum’s comments are based strictly on the policies in the 2018 Cambridge City Local Plan. The Forum is supportive of developments that seek to improve and update housing stock, be they owner occupier extensions or new College accommodation blocks, but does not support proposals for inappropriate development that are non-compliant with Local Plan policies and that adversely affect the local environment in the Cam River corridor and flood plain, adversely affect the amenity of neighbours, and/or adversely affect the street scene for both residents and visitors. In particular, the Forum seeks to support those older, less able and potentially infirm residents who do not have the facility to make their case and object through formal planning channels when they would be materially affected by a development that breaches Local Plan policies. Where owner occupiers and developers have engaged with the Forum and shared their plans, there have been multiple cases where proposed plans have been adjusted to address residents’ concerns and have then progressed to unopposed approvals. As a Statutory Consultee since March 2017, the Forum has reviewed and followed the progress of hundreds of planning applications in South Newnham and believes that there is a genuine need for South Newnham’s Neighbourhood Plan policies to provide an additional level of local specificity to the 2018 Cambridge City Plan which will aid the planning process locally, benefit residents and stakeholders, and make possible the achievement of the Plan’s Vision for South Newnham.

As a resident, I am acutely conscious of the differing views surrounding the use of the land known as Skater’s Meadow Footpath, which is Cambridgeshire County Council Footpath 39/32 and runs through the land adjacent to Skaters’ Meadow. The land has no known owner. As a footpath for at least the last 200 years and possibly since Tudor times, the footpath was historically a green entrance to Grantchester Meadows. There has been some limited car parking for the last 15-20 years, but this increased dramatically during the Covid pandemic and the land has now been rutted and the verges destroyed by car, van and campervan parking, which in theory shouldn’t be possible due to the land’s status as a footpath. The footpath provides the northern entrance to Grantchester Meadows, the water meadows that run besides the Cam between Newnham and Grantchester, and large numbers of Cambridge residents and visitors walk and cycle along the footpath to enter the meadows. A footpath survey done in July and August 2021 over a Saturday and Sunday revealed that 2,498 walkers and cyclists used the path over two eight hour days, during which time 76 cars arrived to park.

Some residents believe that motor vehicles should not be allowed to park on what is a footpath used by over a thousand people a day, destroying the verges and the footpath surface in the process. Other residents believe that motor vehicle drivers have parked there for a number of years and should be free to continue to do so as the land is unowned and uncontrolled. The Plan does not take sides, but seeks a middle ground by proposing to designate the land as a Local Green Space so that it would effectively have Green Belt Status. This would not seek to prevent the current parking, which could be improved and regularised, possibly by a third party, but it would prevent future development and building on the land so that it remains a safe pedestrian and cycle access into the Meadows. Additionally, a Local Green Space designation would give Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, whose Highways Dept is responsible for Footpaths, the time and space to find a balanced and fair solution to an ongoing problem.

Support

Representation ID: 200102

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Ruth Lambert

Please note my Family's total Support for the South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum. We all support it.

Support

Representation ID: 200103

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Henrietta McBurney

I want to add my endorsement for the Neighbourhood Plan. It is a very thorough and carefully researched report on environmental and related issues, and I commend all those who had worked on it.

In particular I’d like to support policy 6 (sustaining species rich and protected hedgerows) in order to ensure the habitat for species is retained and enhanced.

Policy 7 (artificial lighting presenting a threat to bats) is also of crucial importance in the face of development proposals. One of these is the Barton Road Lake County Wildlife site which over the last decade or two has been subject to harmful building projects and presents an example of where measures to protect and enhance biodiversity area badly needed.

Support

Representation ID: 200104

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Cllr Hugh Clough

I am writing to express my support for the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan which you have put out for consultation on the “Submission” version.

In doing this I need to make a declaration of interest as I have been a member of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum since it was originally formed in 2016 and served on the Forum’s committee from the beginning until 20th May when I resigned from the committee after being being elected as a Ward Councillor for Newnham in this year’s Council elections. This was also to avoid any possible conflict of interest as the Forum is also a statutory consultee for planning applications in the South Newnham neighbourhood area. I remain a member of the Forum itself.

Having been involved with the Forum from the very beginning of its work, I have a good knowledge of the extensive consultation processes and engagement events that were carried out to make sure that all residents and local stakeholders had a very good number of opportunities to attend meetings and express their views about what they valued about the South Newnham area. Personally I remember attending a detailed briefing meeting with a college bursar, have kept the school informed being on the Governing Body and the Social Club has held a series of open consultation sessions booked by the Forum.

The initial consultation workshops used materials from the Princes’ Foundation known as BIMBY (Beauty in My Back Yard) and these helped gather the base information which led to the foundations and understanding from which the Forum and the committee developed their ideas during the initial period.

For me, as someone totally unused to Planning processes, it was a “lightbulb” moment when I/we realized that a Neighbourhood Planning wasn’t just about trying to stop poorly designed or excessive development in an area but about everything else that residents find important in their daily lives – such as community assets, public open spaces, local nature reserves and resources, cycling and walking routes, views across college playing fields and the urban/rural interface.

It is the desire to protect and enhance these valued Neighbourhood features and resources that has been behind much of the thinking as the draft Neighbourhood Plan has evolved through various iterations.

In particular when I was involved in one of the subgroups trying to list and describe Community Assets for the plan and the Evidence Base, what I thought would be a relatively short listing process wasn’t the case. There were a lot of Community Assets to list and explain their importance – such as the School, the shops, the social club, the Church and its community centre etc. It’s only when you start to undertake that exercise that you realise how important it is to do this work – and also to reflect on Community Assets which have already been lost due to not being protected and listed.

In preparing the Neighbourhood Plan, the Forum and committee have always worked hard at being open to contributions from residents and stakeholders. This is truly a plan prepared for all the Neighbourhood residents and stakeholders and I do hope it will proceed through to examination by an Inspector very soon.

Support

Representation ID: 200105

Received: 20/06/2024

Respondent: Ms Alexandra Mercer

I am writing in support of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan with particular reference to Section 3, Protecting and Maintaining the Connectivity Network. I was a member of the team of residents who carried out the background research into the connectivity network that comprises pavements, footpaths, lanes and alleyways used by pedestrians, designated cycle routes and roads as used by cyclists, which is all described in detail in the Evidence Base. I am both a pedestrian who uses the network on a daily basis to walk my dog and I am also a cyclist.

Many residents of Newnham walk their dogs on Grantchester Meadows but the access to the Meadows is now very unsafe for pedestrians, especially those with disabilities. The surface is rutted and in wet weather it is particularly difficult to walk around the deep potholes filled with water which has been caused by cars, lorries and caravans parking there sometimes for several days. I therefore support the designation of Skaters Meadow Footpath as a local green space so that the existing landscape features so that mitigating steps can be taken to restore this footpath to one that is safe for pedestrians and protects the verges and the trees. If restrictions were put on parking at Skaters Meadow it would alleviate much of the problem.

I also support the designation of the Wide Green Verges along the north side of Barton Road as a local Green Space so that the existing landscape features such as trees and verges, which contribute to the street scene are not harmed. The recent changes to the intersection of Barton Road/Newnham Road and Grantchester Road by the County Council as part of the Greenway Project has not improved pedestrian connectivity at all. Rather, it has made it difficult for pedestrians to cross the road unless they are prepared to go down Barton Road to Hardwick Street where there is a pedestrian crossing. This is counter intuitive if you want to walk into the city. Pedestrians and cyclists share a crossing point with both given the “go” sign at the same time for the same bit of road.

Further plans to widen the cycleway along Barton Road would also affect pedestrians and if implemented would further impact on the safety of pedestrians.

Comment

Representation ID: 200106

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Sport England

Please find enclosed Sport England’s consultation response to the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 200107

Received: 18/06/2024

Respondent: Greater Cambridge Shared Planning

Please see attached the Council’s formal response to the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 16 submission consultation. Appendix A is also attached that is referred to within the response.

Object

Representation ID: 200108

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Mr + Mrs A.F Jones

Number of people: 2

Comment and Objection in Response to Consultation on South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Support

Representation ID: 200109

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Lynn Hieatt

Please find attached a note describing the early formation of the Forum, and the steps we took to ensure to the best of our ability that it was representative of the community.

Support

Representation ID: 200110

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Mrs Pam Gatrell

As Chair of Friends of Paradise Nature Reserve, I am writing in support of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 200111

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Historic England

Thank you for inviting Historic England to comment upon the ongoing South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan (reg.16) consultation.

Object

Representation ID: 200112

Received: 08/06/2024

Respondent: Ms Nasheed Faruqi

Number of people: 9

Please find attached, and inline below, a letter outlining a group response to the proposed South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 200113

Received: 11/06/2024

Respondent: Turley

Please find attached a representation prepared on behalf of Queens’ College, Cambridge in response to the consultation on the submitted South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 200114

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Public Health Directorate (Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council)

No further comments on our original submission of July 2023.

Support

Representation ID: 200115

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Barbara Sahakian

This email is to state that I strongly support the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan, which is attached to this email.

Comment

Representation ID: 200116

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Cambridgeshire County Council

I refer to the recent consultation on the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan. Please find attached comments I have received from the Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Team relating to heritage assets. These are made to ensure there is consistency and clarity in how different types of heritage assets are described and presented in the Neighbourhood Plan with the aim of avoiding any undue ambiguity.

Support

Representation ID: 200117

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Lynn Hieatt

Please find attached my comments on the detail of the South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 200118

Received: 21/06/2024

Respondent: Natural England

Please find Natural England’s response in relation to the above mentioned consultation attached.

Support

Representation ID: 200119

Received: 07/06/2024

Respondent: South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum

We are delighted to have reached the Regulation 16 Consultation stage and would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the officers at Greater Cambridge Shared Planning who have supported us during the process of making a Neighbourhood Plan. We especially appreciate the guidance we have received from GCSP when drafting and refining our policies.

During discussion with yourselves, we recognised that the maps we had produced were not easy to read and are therefore very grateful to GCSP for offering the services of their map department to re-do the maps which are now much easier to understand. Thank you for picking up some small errors in the Submission Version of the Neighbourhood Plan and for proposing to revise the maps, which we agree with.

The making of the plan has been a lengthy process, in part due to the interruption of Covid when no progress was made, but it has now come together due to the efforts of many residents in our community, who have worked together to gather evidence for the Evidence Base and the Street Appraisals. These documents have recently been updated to reflect any changes that have taken place since the evidence was first gathered.

The Consultation Statement shows how the Forum has consulted widely with stakeholders and residents from the early days of the workshops through to the Local Consultation under Regulation 14. Feedback from residents, statutory consultees and stakeholders and our responses are all recorded in the Consultation Statement. The early invitations to stakeholders, in particular Colleges who own property in South Newnham, show how the Forum engaged with the wider community from the onset of the process.

The very real concern held by many residents for the future of the environment, both globally and in our neighbourhood area is behind the policies we have drafted on our Green Instructure. These issues were tabled by residents at the workshops held in 2016 and 2017, and residents concern about the potential for damage to our local environment has increased year by year since then.

We have proposed four Local Green Spaces and Skaters Meadow Footpath is one of them. During the Local Consultation we met with Cambridge Past Present and Future (CPPF) who were concerned that the designation of this footpath, which is Cambridge County Council Public Right of Way 39/32, as a Local Green Space would preclude any formal development in the future for car parking spaces. As described in the Evidence Base, the footpath “has become a rutted area due to parking by visitors, daily commuters, and recently by caravans and residential/motorhomes” and it is now unsightly and unsafe for the hundreds of people who walk along it daily to access Grantchester Meadows.

The wording of our neighbourhood plan policy SNNP 4, Creating Local Green Spaces, does not preclude developing a formal car park with marked bays and a safe all-weather surface, though the policy would be a barrier to an inappropriately scaled development by requiring measures that would enhance the ecological value of the site and prevent the erection of buildings. Since the style of car park CPPF described to us would be of limited size (10-12 cars), require payment, have robust protection of the verges to enhance the site’s ecology, and have no parking along the verges of the access road, it would not be prohibited by policy SNNP4.

In response to new thinking on climate change and its effect on the environment the Forum has included two Policies, SNNP 9 Improving the Energy and Water Efficiency of Existing and New Buildings and SNNP10 Responding to Climate Change and the Risk of Local Flooding. We would like to thank GCSP for their guidance in drafting these policies.

Since becoming Statutory Consultees in 2017 the Forum has commented on many planning applications, mostly concerning house extensions and some new build. The Forum has supported development that improves the housing stock, but has discouraged overdevelopment where scale, massing and overlooking adversely affects the street scene and the amenity enjoyed by neighbours. As a result of these experiences as a Statutory Consultee, Policy SNNP13 Protecting Residential Amenity in South Newnham has been included. The policy aims to protect against unacceptable overlooking, levels of pollution and general disturbance arising from a site during construction and occupation.

If the Neighbourhood Plan is adopted it will a first for Cambridge and will be an invaluable aid to Cambridge City Planners, when considering planning applications in this area.