Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

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Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

S/JH: New jobs and homes

Representation ID: 60509

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Whilst Taylor Wimpey support that the Council have set a housing figure higher than the Standard Method, it is their view that the Council should be more ambitious in planning for what has been presented as a reasonable and higher forecast of employment growth. This is particularly when considering the important strategic position of Greater Cambridge within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and the clear aspirations for economic growth within the Arc. Clearly the Greater Cambridge Local Plan will also need to conform with the Spatial Framework for the Arc when prepared which will have the same status of National Policy.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

S/DS: Development strategy

Representation ID: 60510

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Land north of Cambridge Road, Linton (HELAA site 51721)

As part of their strategy, the Council have stated that their top priority is to reduce carbon emissions and to that end provide jobs and homes in close proximity to one another and major public transport routes. Whilst Taylor Wimpey do understand this approach by the Council, they do have some concerns in relation to how this strategy has been applied.
Firstly, many of the settlements within South Cambridgeshire are highly sustainable in their own right and benefit from excellent public transport links to Cambridge, and other destinations. Taylor Wimpey therefore consider that the Council should explore the option to deliver more housing in other sustainable settlements in order to provide a greater spread of housing distribution, provide a portfolio of types of sites to meet needs in a range of locations, ensure that there is a supply of housing that can be built out sooner within the plan period, and continue to support local services and facilities.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

S/SH: Settlement hierarchy

Representation ID: 60511

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Land north of Cambridge Road (A1307), Linton (HELAA site 51721)

An assessment should be undertaken to support the emerging Local Plan to inform a review of the settlement hierarchy and it is considered such an assessment would conclude that Linton should be recognised for elevation in the hierarchy to a Rural Centre.
Linton benefits from a breadth of services and facilities. The village is also served by an excellent bus service.
Linton has also been subject to transport improvements through the Greater Cambridge Partnership Transport Projects. These works will therefore further enhance the sustainability of Linton.
Within the Sustainability Appraisal (October 2021) note is made of Linton benefitting from services and facilities, at a comparable level alongside Great Shelford and Sawston. Both of these settlements are Rural Centres, and it queried how Linton can be listed alongside these settlements, but at a lower position in the hierarchy. It is clear therefore that Linton should be classified as a Rural Centre.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

S/SB: Settlement boundaries

Representation ID: 60512

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Land north of Cambridge Road (A1307), Linton (HELAA site 51721)

In line with their promotion of Land north of Cambridge Road, Linton, Taylor Wimpey advocate that the site should be included within the settlement boundary of Linton as part of the allocation of the site for residential development.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

S/RSC: Village allocations in the rural southern cluster

Representation ID: 60513

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Land north of Cambridge Road, Linton (HELAA site 51721)

This policy is considered to illustrate further that despite this Rural Southern Cluster Area having been identified by the Council as a growth area, there is in fact limited residential development proposed within this area to support the level of employment growth. Delivering more housing within this area will provide development with opportunities for sustainable travel to the Genome Campus and Babraham Research Campus.
Whilst we do not comment on the appropriateness of the proposed, it is notable that Duxford is a lower order settlement in the hierarchy than Linton however it receives an allocation whereas Linton does not.
The evidence base is clear that the Rural Southern Cluster is an appropriate location for focusing development as part of the Council strategy. It however appears that more limited growth has been directed to this area due to anticipated high carbon emissions due to dispersed village homes. It is considered that this conclusion is not representative of Linton.
It is therefore considered that the Council should look to deliver more homes in this important employment area.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

BG/BG: Biodiversity and geodiversity

Representation ID: 60514

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

The policy wording suggests that there will be a requirement for development to achieve a minimum 20% biodiversity net gain. It is understood that this aspiration has stemmed from the Oxford-Cambridge Arc Environmental Principles and exceeds that in the Environment Act 2021. Whilst Taylor Wimpey are supportive of this approach to provide significant biodiversity improvements through development, this is clearly a high aspiration and it will be important to consider site specific requirements and the overall viability implications of all the Plan requirements considered collectively.
A suggestion to the wording is that this could be phrased as ‘the policy will require development to aim to achieve a 20% biodiversity net gain with a minimum 10% to be achieved’. By amending the wording in this way the onus is clearly on the applicant to meet the 20% wherever possible, but should there be a slight shortcoming (that would still result in an overall high net gain) this would not prevent otherwise acceptable development.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

BG/GI: Green infrastructure

Representation ID: 60515

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

This policy wording sets out that ‘all development proposals – appropriate to its type, scale and location - to include green infrastructure, providing the following varied benefits for people, wildlife and planet’. It is suggested that further clarification should be provided within the wording of this policy as to what type, scale and location of development will be required to provide green infrastructure. This will avoid any ambiguity.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

BG/TC: Improving Tree Canopy Cover and the Tree Population

Representation ID: 60516

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

The wording of this policy appears to contradict itself. It appears to suggest that all existing trees on sites should be protected and makes no allowance for instances where trees are required to be removed due to disease, age or safety concerns which renders their retention inappropriate. Furthermore, in some instances the removal of trees is required in order for the development to be brought forward. These could be trees of value. This would not make a development unacceptable, particularly where appropriate mitigation could be provided. It is therefore considered that the two bullet points could be merged into a single point that references ‘trees of value’ and for them to be protected ‘where possible’.
The same comment is raised in relation to the bullet point stating the need to ‘protect existing hedgerows and the surrounding land that supports them, and to require the planting of new ones where appropriate’.
Concerns are also raised to the reference of using ‘a recognised tool such as iTree’ to measure tree value. This would appear to make the role of many arboriculturalists redundant if they do not use such a tool. It is therefore suggested that this text be removed from the wording of the policy.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

BG/RC: River Corridors

Representation ID: 60517

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

This policy relates to the impact of development on the River Cam and its tributaries. River Granta is such a tributary, which runs along the northern edge of the Land north of Cambridge Road, Linton. Taylor Wimpey are therefore supportive of the approach to protect, enhance and restore this natural feature, which the development of the site could help to achieve.

Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

BG/EO: Providing and enhancing open spaces

Representation ID: 60520

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Turley

Representation Summary:

Taylor Wimpey are supportive of the delivery of open space and recreational land through development. The proposed policy wording states however that ‘open space and recreation provision will be required to be provided by new development, appropriate to the scale and location of the development.’ It is suggested that further clarification should be provided within the wording of this policy as to what scale and location of development will be required to provide open space, and indeed what type and amount of open space contribution will need to be on and off site. This will avoid any ambiguity. The wording adds that ‘the type of provision sought will be guided by the needs and opportunities of the local area.’ Again this requires further clarification. It will be important for these requirements to inform site capacities for the proposed allocations and assessments of viability of the Plan as a whole.
It is understood that the Council are looking to review their current open space standards, which is supported as this will provide important clarification for development sites. It is also agreed that the standards should continue to differ between Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire to reflect the differences between these areas.
It is also suggested that the wording should be amended to state that ‘open space and recreation provision will be required to be provided by new development where justified’.

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