Draft Bourn Airfield Supplementary Planning Document - June 2019

Comment

Representation ID: 168041

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

1.3 KEY ISSUES - 2: GREEN TO THE CORE
Whilst the Trust raised no objection to the proposed development of a new village at Bourn, we are concerned about the shortfall in existing open space provision within easy access of development locations to the west of Cambridge.

Comment

Representation ID: 168042

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

1.3 KEY ISSUES - 4: SUPPORTING A SHIFT TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ACCESS AND MOVEMENT

Concern for the proposed provision in policy for a segregated bus link from Cambourne to Bourn Airfield, as part of measures to address congestion along A428/A1303 corridor. Part of the proposed busway route crosses Green Belt land to the north of Coton over which The National Trust holds restrictive covenants and we have objected to the scheme on the grounds of landscape and visual impact.

Comment

Representation ID: 168044

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

The site context for a development of 35000 dwellings and related uses on land allocated for development at Bourn Airfield New Village extends beyond the surrounding features identified in the draft SPD. It includes the Wimpole Hall Estate, lying approximately 7km to the south of the proposed development. Wimpole Hall is the closest National Trust property to Bourn.

The site context also extends beyond the local authority's boundaries. The wider decision making framework set out by government for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc includes the A428/A1303 corridor within which Bourn Airfield sits, providing relevant context for the SPD.

Comment

Representation ID: 168045

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

3 Vision and Objectives - 5:RESPONSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE

National Trust questions how creating a cleaner, greener and zero-carbon future for local communities will be evidenced and monitored. National Trust urges elaboration of a specific, measurable approach to monitoring which can be applied to all aspects of the development, including traffic generation, utilising appropriate 'carbon accounting' techniques. For example, as part of the proposed approach to facilitating 'zero carbon lifestyles', consideration should be given to monitoring vehicle movements, non-motorised trips, and travel choices arising from new development.

Comment

Representation ID: 168046

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

5A BIODIVERSITY AND HABITATS
Whilst the commitment to net gain as a Guiding Principle is helpful, the SPD does not elaborate a specific measurable requirement as a Spatial Fix.

It would be helpful if the SPD set out further detail in terms of the delivery of new priority habitat as an integral component of green infrastructure provision, consistent with Government's commitment to mandating measurable biodiversity gain through the introduction of a 10% minimum planning policy requirement, and with Government's ambition for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc to 'demonstrate the ambitions of the government's 25 Year Environment Plan'. A key element of the Plan is to ensure that ambitions for growth are met whilst leaving the environment in a better state, and in March 2019 Government published a Joint Declaration in which local authorities affirmed their support for this approach. This Trust supports this approach.

A measurable approach to net gain would also be consistent with the objectives of the Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Strategy, and with the 'Developing with Nature Toolkit', launched earlier this year by the Natural Cambridgeshire Local Nature Partnership (LNP) as part of the LNP's broader net biodiversity gain initiative. The intention is to seek a minimum priority habitat contribution of 20% from all development in Cambridge and Peterborough above a minimum threshold. The Trust shares this broad ambition which reflects the scale of past habitat loss across the region, and in our view 20% would provide an appropriate target contribution for Bourn Airfield new village.

Comment

Representation ID: 168048

Received: 24/07/2019

Respondent: The National Trust

National Trust welcome the indicative land budget of 89 hectares of land for the creation of a Country Park within the development site. Notwithstanding the proposed onsite provision, development on the scale proposed at Bourn should take account of the interface between new communities and their wider surroundings. There is likely to be an increase in off-site recreational visits to adjacent outdoor recreation sites, the closest being the National Trust's Wimpole Hall Estate. National Trust welcome an opportunity to engage in future dialogue with the local authority, developers and community representatives with a view to encouraging sustainable travel patterns and responsible recreational activity.