Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

OBJECT

Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group is promoting land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth for residential development, and in representations has requested that the site is allocated in emerging GCLP. Elsworth is defined as a Group Village in the settlement hierarchy for South Cambridgeshire, and Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group agree with the status of the village. The village contains a good range of services and facilities, including a primary school, public houses, church and sport and social club. There is also a successful commercial area to the south of the village which provides employment opportunities. Cambourne and Papworth Everard provide additional services and facilities not provided within Elsworth. The site is within the heart of the village and is accessible to all of the services and facilities by walking and cycling. The local transport services available are such that future residents would have a realistic choice of travel modes. It is therefore considered that Elsworth is a suitable and sustainable location for additional residential development, with sustainable modes of transport available, providing an alternative to the car for some journeys.

As set out in the representations to Policy S/SB: Settlement Boundaries, it is considered that there is limited capacity within the settlement boundaries of most villages. There are few outstanding development opportunities for up to 8 dwellings (or 15 dwellings on previously developed sites) within existing settlement boundaries in Group Villages. It is likely that in most cases only small sites for one or two dwellings would be available. It is considered that the site size thresholds for each category of village are largely irrelevant and ineffective because very few sites are actually available, and those that are available would fall below the threshold where affordable housing is required e.g. less than 10 dwellings.

Requested Change

It is requested that a capacity assessment is undertaken of all villages in South Cambridgeshire to determine which potential housing sites might be deliverable or developable during the plan period to 2041, and the number of dwellings that might be delivered from each of those sites.

It is requested that the site size limits for each category of village are deleted and replaced with a general policy that supports development within existing settlement boundaries, in conjunction with a revised development strategy that allocates suitable sites on the edge of existing sustainable villages including at Elsworth.

OBJECT

Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group does not object to the principle of settlement boundaries being defined around villages. However, the existing defined settlement boundaries for most villages in South Cambridgeshire have remained largely unchanged since the Local Plan 2004. The settlement boundaries were adjusted in some cases to take into account allocations at some villages through the Site Specific Allocations DPD 2010 and the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018. It is very likely that most of the development opportunities within existing village boundaries would have been taken up by now. It is also likely that heritage assets within some villages, such as conservation areas and listed buildings, will constrain development opportunities.

The Councils have not undertaken an assessment of the capacity of land within the existing settlement boundaries of villages to accommodate additional development. It is likely that such an assessment would demonstrate that capacity is limited.

It is considered that the emerging GCLP should seek to allocate suitable sites on the edge of existing sustainable villages and to adjust the settlement boundary to accommodate those allocations. The site promoted by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group at Meadow Drift, Elsworth should be allocated for development. There is a need for additional housing sites in the more sustainable villages to support existing services and facilities and to meet identified affordable housing needs in those villages.

Requested Change
It is requested that a capacity assessment is undertaken of all villages in South Cambridgeshire to determine which potential housing sites might be deliverable or developable during the plan period to 2041 and the number of dwellings that might be delivered from each of those sites.

If the capacity assessment identifies no suitable sites to meet identified affordable housing needs it is requested that additional allocations are made on the edge of those villages to deliver sufficient housing to meet those affordable housing needs.

It is considered that the growth of the more sustainable villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and particularly those villages that contain a good range of services and facilities, are accessible by a range of modes of transport, and where there is an identified need for affordable housing for those with a local connection to the village.

Paragraph 79 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services. The promoted development at Meadow Drift, Elsworth would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including the primary school, public houses and sports and social club.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridgeshire. It is requested that small/medium sized sites such as land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth are allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including those that are easily deliverable.

Paragraph 104 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 105 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable. The Transport Statement that supported the previous application (S/4550/17/FL) for the proposed development of Land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth concluded that the location of the site and the local transport services available are such that future residents would have a realistic choice of travel modes. The site promoted by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is accessible to all the services and facilities in the village by walking and cycling and public transport.

Paragraph 62 of the NPPF expects the size, type and tenure of housing needs of the community to be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for example those with an affordable housing need, students, renters and self-builders. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 12 affordable dwellings in Elsworth for those with a local connection to the village. This identified need would not be met without allocations in Elsworth. The promoted development by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village.

For all these reasons, small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Elsworth, because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages which would not be met via other means.

Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group’s representations to the assessment of the Meadow Drift, Elsworth site in the HELAA (Site Ref. 40514) comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted development and explain how those constraints would be addressed. In summary, there are no significant constraints to development at Meadow Drift, Elsworth.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes an additional allocation in Elsworth at Meadow Drift.

It is requested that land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 2.1 Ha
• Capacity for approx. 16 dwellings, including affordable housing, school car park and drop off area, ecological mitigation area and new allotments

A key aim of the Sustainability Appraisal process is to make a plan more sustainable. It tests the social, economic and environmental impacts of various plan options, to help choose the most sustainable options. It also seeks to determine the extent to which the principles of sustainable development are integrated into the plan and its policies.

It is considered by Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group that the Sustainability Appraisal has not sought to make emerging GCLP more sustainable, and in respect of villages it appears that the assessment against sustainability objectives is not robust because it does not critically review the evidence provided by the Councils. For example, some villages have good access by sustainable modes of transport and contain a good range of services and facilities, there is an identified need for affordable housing in most villages which is ignored in the assessment process, and there is limited capacity within existing settlement boundaries for villages to accommodate additional development.

Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group request amendments to the assessment of policy options in the Sustainability Appraisal are as follows:

• Table 5.4: Policy S/DS: Development Strategy: A ‘significant positive effect/uncertain’ score is identified in the assessment for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). However, as set out in Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group’s representations to Policy S/DS, there are no housing allocations made in most villages, including Elsworth, and as such the identified needs for affordable housing in the villages would not be met by the preferred development strategy. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified affordable housing needs for those with a local connection in all villages. That information is not reflected in the assessment contained in Table 5.4. The identified need for 12 affordable dwellings in Elsworth will not be met by the preferred development strategy, which must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective. It is requested that land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is allocated for housing and affordable housing to deliver positive housing related sustainability outcomes.

• Table 5.6: Policy S/SB: Settlement Boundaries. A ‘mixed significant positive and minor negative effect’ score is identified for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). As set out in Enterprise Residential Development Ltd and the Davison Group’s representations to Policy S/SB and S/SH (Settlement Hierarchy) the settlement boundaries at most villages have remained largely unchanged since 2004 and there has been no assessment of capacity within settlement boundaries to accommodate additional development. The assessment in Table 5.6 does not consider whether any capacity exists within the settlement boundaries to accommodate the identified need for affordable housing. Elsworth is an example where there are no opportunities within the boundary to accommodate major developments that would require affordable housing i.e. 10 or more dwellings. As set out above there is an identified need for 12 affordable dwellings in Elsworth. It must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective if affordable housing needs of villages, including Elsworth, will not be met by the currently defined settlement boundaries.

• Table 5.22: Policy S/RRA: Allocations in the Rest of the Rural Area: A ‘mixed significant positive and minor negative effect’ score is identified for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). A ‘mixed significant negative and minor positive effect’ score is identified for access to services and facilities objective (SA2). A ‘mixed significant negative and minor positive effect’ score is also identified for efficient use of land objective (SA8). As set out above there is an identified need for 12 affordable dwellings in Elsworth, and it must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective if affordable housing needs of villages, including Elsworth, will not be met by the development strategy or the strategy for rural areas. Elsworth contains some services and facilities, including a primary school, public houses, church and sport and social club. The accessibility to services and facilities is good for Elsworth, but this is not reflected in the assessment for this sustainability related objective, and additional development in this village would improve the sustainability outcomes and support the existing services and facilities.

It is requested that land at Meadow Drift, Elsworth is allocated in emerging GCLP to deliver better and more positive sustainability outcomes compared with the preferred development strategy.