Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

The National Trust supports this policy. It is vital that the right infrastructure is provided at the right time to make sure new development is supported and that good place-making is delivered. It is important to avoid placing unnecessary pressure on existing services and places across and Local Plan area and beyond.

In principle, the National Trust does not oppose the development of land around the edge of Cambridge outside the Green Belt provided adequate new greenspaces are delivered to the north east of Cambridge in order to reduce recreational pressure on sites subject to national and international designations, including our land at Wicken Fen (RAMSAR, SSSI, SAC). Although this is located beyond the Local Plan area, our evidence demonstrates that it draws a substantial number of visitors from the Greater Cambridge area. The impact of housing growth on Wicken Fen must be assessed through the Habitats Regulations Assessment.

Any changes to the Green Belt boundary must be fully evidenced and justified and formally decided through the Local Plan process, and any development must be delivered in a sustainable and strategic way.

The National Trust has concerns about the sustainability of development at this location. This high-density allocation will not deliver the councils aspirations for ‘biodiversity & green space’ or ‘great places’. It is also one of the key motivators to damage the Green Belt by moving the sewage treatment plant. Existing infrastructure is under enormous pressure on this side of the city, including green infrastructure, tourist destinations such as Anglesey Abbey, Wicken Fen & Milton Country Park and the A10.

The delivery of development in this location is reliant upon the relocation of the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant. For clarity and transparency we consider that the proposals map should identify the location of the site of the proposed new Waste Water Treatment Plant. The Plan should also make it clearer in its Development Strategy (Policy S/DS) that the proposed site for the new treatment plant is located in the Green Belt. Therefore, although North East Cambridge is a brownfield site, its delivery is reliant on the release of land from the Green Belt to facilitate the relocation of the waste water treatment plant.

It is also unclear what the alternative would be if Development Consent for the relocation of the waste water treatment plan was not granted. There is currently uncertainty about the deliverability of North East Cambridge for the number of homes proposed.

Existing infrastructure is under enormous pressure on this side of the city, including green infrastructure, tourist destinations such as Anglesey Abbey, Wicken Fen & Milton Country Park and the A10.

The National Trust does not object to the development of this brownfield site providing appropriate green infrastructure can be delivered. This site provides opportunities to connect to the Wicken Fen Vision Area and create green infrastructure which would deliver on the high level ambitions of the Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

Outside the Local Plan area in East Cambridgeshire, the Trust owns and manages some 250 ha of land at Wicken Fen, a National Nature Reserve and designated SSSI, and an internationally designated SAC and Ramsar. At its closest point the Reserve is located approximately 4km to the east of the boundary between the two local authority areas, however the Trust’s plans for the Wicken Fen Vision Area would extend the area of land managed for nature conservation southwards to within 2km of the Greater Cambridge boundary. The Trust’s long term management strategy for the Vision Area extends across an area of approximately 5,300 ha and aims to alleviate the growing pressure on vulnerable habitats within the designated site, and to better protect areas at risk from the effects of trampling, recreational pressure and other harmful activities.

It is noted that this proposed allocation responds to the East West Rail proposal which includes a new station at Cambourne. However the preferred route for the new rail line has not been announced.

The National Trust supports the principle of improved access to green transport and is neither for nor against the proposal of EWR. However, any such growth and development could place additional recreation pressures on Wimpole Estate and have potential impacts on our nature conservation assets (notably SSSI/SAC but also priority habitat and species, and County Wildlife Sites (CWS)), infrastructure and visitor management of the site.

Located in South Cambridgeshire, the Wimpole Estate is owned and managed by the National Trust. It lies approximately 13 km to the west of Cambridge and prior to the pandemic attracted some 400,000 visitors per annum. Wimpole Hall is a Grade I Listed Building set within a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden which includes the farmed estate and extends over an area of 1,200 ha. The property as a whole contains 30 listed buildings and structures of which three, including the Gothic Tower (Folly Castle), are Grade II*, and a Scheduled Monument comprising the remains of the Romano British settlement at Arrington. The estate is the largest of its kind in Cambridgeshire and a key attraction is its landscape setting, including the 4 km long South Avenue, with extensive views to the Royston Hills.

The availability of water supply and the pressure on the existing environment due to the low level of existing water resource is a key issue for the area. The scale of envisaged growth and development is out of line with the water resources available, and in terms of sewage capacity and nutrient burdens from discharges. This should be an intrinsic consideration throughout the Local Plan. The Local Plan needs to be future-proofed and requires agility to respond to the changing and increasing pressures that are likely to come forward for the water environment over the plan period.

The National Trust supports the principle of the Strategic Green Infrastructure Initiatives and a policy which requires the delivery of on-site greenspace within new developments.

We are disappointed that the Wicken Fen Vision is not referenced in the First Proposals document. We are strongly of the opinion that the 'Enhancement of the Eastern Fens' initiative should be extended to include all land included within the Wicken Fen vision. This is one of the key delivery programmes for the Council's adopted Natural Cambridgeshire 'doubling nature' vision. Green infrastructure is a cross boundary issue and initiatives should not stop at local authority boundaries. We would expect to see the Wicken Fen Vision Area referenced in that context. We acknowledge that its delivery would require partnership working with the National Trust, a neighbouring local authority and other stakeholders. By thinking across boundaries, we can create a network of greenspaces that includes the Wicken Fen Vision, the Cambridge Green Belt and a green corridor that extends through the existing airport site connecting with Coldham’s Common. On its 125th anniversary in January 2020, the National Trust committed to enhancing urban green spaces and linking access to countryside to create 20 green corridors (by 2030). One of these identified as Wicken Fen to Cambridge. We see Greater Cambridge as an ideal location to deliver this ambitious vision and are keen to engage with interested partners, and hope that the Local Plan can help make this happen.

The National Trust strongly supports the requirement for development to achieve a minimum 20% biodiversity net gain. It is important that this policy is robust.

We also support the requirement for development to mitigate evidenced recreational impacts on designated sites. It must be ensured that the Local Plan evidence assesses the impacts of increased recreational pressure arising from the housing growth on designated sites, including those which fall outside of the Local Plan boundary, including Wicken Fen (Ramsar, SAC, SSSI).

The National Trust supports this policy. This will help manage potential uplift in recreational impacts on existing sites and habitats. As part of the National Trust's strategy we are working with others to increase access to parks and green spaces in, around and near urban areas as part of the Future Parks Accelerator programme.

Heritage conservation is fundamental to the National Trusts’ charitable purposes and the National Planning Policy Framework correctly establishes a very high threshold for new development to pass in historic places.

We are pleased to see acknowledgement of Cambridge’s historic environment, including the Wimpole Estate which is owned and managed by the Trust.

The National Trust understands that major infrastructure proposals lie outside the local planning authority’s consenting powers, however Local Plan policy should ensure that it establishes the highest possible safeguards for the protection of all heritage assets, historic places and important landscapes.