Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

Pigeon broadly supports the Vision and Aims identified, but suggest the following amendments.

Vision: A strong emphasis is rightly placed on the need for new development to minimise carbon emissions and reduce reliance on travel by private car. However, the Vision fails to mention the current high levels of economic in-commuting by private car into Greater Cambridge, which contributes significantly to carbon emissions and congestion. To achieve the desired big decrease in climate impact, the Vision should clearly articulate the desire to reverse this scenario.

Aims (Homes): To better reflect the Vision this aim should be amended to look to provide sufficient homes across Greater Cambridge which meets both future and existing needs, and in turn promotes more sustainable commuting patterns which reduce carbon emissions and congestion.

To create the ‘thriving neighbourhoods’ set out in the Vision there is a need to provide a far greater number of affordable homes. Whilst the aim of providing ‘significant quantities of housing that is affordable’ is applauded, this does not go far enough. The Aim should be more ambitious, and look to meet the full affordable housing needs across Greater Cambridge. Such an approach would be positive..

On a similar note, whilst Pigeon supports the provision of different kinds of homes to suit diverse communities, we encourage the Plan to go further and look to meet these needs in all the communities where the need arises from. This would allow local communities to grow sustainably, and better align with the Vision of creating thriving neighbourhoods.

How much:
Pigeon agrees with the assertion that over recent years, jobs have been created faster than new homes have been built, with the resulting increase in house prices and economic in commuting. We support a strategy that seeks to address this through planning for sufficient homes that meets the identified need, including affordable need. However, the amount of new housing proposed, although above the Standard Methodology, is not of sufficient scale to reverse commuting patterns, or provide for sufficient affordable housing provision.

Commuting Patterns

As already noted, if the Local Plan is to achieve the Vision of a big reduction in carbon emissions, then sufficient homes should be provided which allow for those currently working in Greater Cambridge to live within the area (in addition to meeting the needs arising from future job creation). Such an approach of better aligning job and housing growth would promote more sustainable commuting patterns and deliver significant environmental, social and economic benefits.

Affordable Housing

There is both an acute general need for affordable homes across Greater Cambridge, and a specific need in rural communities which is unlikely to be met through rural exception sites given high land values. The amount of new housing proposed, particularly when taking into account the level of new jobs forecast, will result in a significant need for additional affordable housing. A greater total number of new homes is therefore necessary to meet the identified affordable need, and contribute to achieving sustainable communities.

We also note the resulting delivery strategy set out in the Council’s Housing Delivery Study for Greater Cambridge October 2021 is expected to result in the Council having only a 5.15 years supply of housing land in the years 2025 to 2030. This could give rise to delivery concerns if there is a change in circumstances, further putting pressure on the delivery of affordable housing. We suggest that increasing the current 10% buffer to 20% would give greater robustness to the overall supply position.

Where:
The general focus on strategic sites and continued growth or densification of existing allocated areas is noted as a strategy for delivering large numbers of sustainable homes in the medium/long term. This strategy risks under-delivery where market and other factors may hold back major investment in strategic sites, whether due to confidence about necessary infrastructure, market absorption rates or other unexpected factors. Furthermore, densification will not necessarily result in increased delivery rates, but rather extended delivery times for these new settlements (i.e. build out rates will remain unchanged). Pigeon suggests a more balanced strategy is adopted with a larger number of new sites included, where these would offer genuine active and/or public transport choices. Such an approach would conform with the Vision and Aims of the plan, whilst offering greater resilience to any changes in circumstances through a more balanced portfolio. Moreover, such an approach could help to facilitate some of the other ambitions of local communities relating to local infrastructure provision (such as the provision of public open space), and also assist Small and Medium sized builders to enter the market thus increasing delivery rates.

Pigeon suggest the strategy is amended, with additional sites identified in sustainable villages which benefit from good active/public transport links.

One such example is Hardwick where no growth is proposed despite the village’s location along the Cambourne-Cambridge public transport corridor. Hardwick is within cycling distance of both Cambridge and Cambourne/Bourne Airfield (where the new East-West railway station is proposed), and walking/cycling distance of the Park and Ride facility proposed at Scotland Farm.

As set out in the general comments section Pigeon do not support the level of new housing growth proposed, and would encourage a more ambitious level of growth which reverses unsustainable commuting patterns and looks to meet the identified housing need.

Pigeon notes concerns relating to water supply necessary to accommodate a higher level of growth, however this could be addressed through a stepped requirement allowing for the necessary infrastructure to be delivered.

Pigeon supports an approach which identifies new housing targets for future neighbourhood areas which do not form part of the homes figures to be met by allocations.

Pigeon supports a strategy which looks to allocate a greater number of new sites in locations where active and public transport is the natural choice, and where new housing would support services and facilities in existing communities.

The strategy should be amended in the ‘Rest of the Rural Area’ by identifying a greater number of new sites which have very good public/active transport access. Hardwick is one such example of a sustainable settlement which benefits from good cycle links and a bus services to Cambridge, and is proposed to benefit from improved sustainable transport connections as follows:.

• A new Park and Ride facility is proposed at Scotland Farm directly opposite Hardwick, from where existing and new residents will be able to cycle/walk to this transport interchange.
• Cambridge is approximately a 20min cycle ride from the village via an improving cycle network.
• Cambourne, and the new East-West railway station, is less than a 20 min cycle, again via good quality cycling infrastructure.

Amending the strategy by allocating a greater proportion of new growth to locations served by sustainable transport infrastructure will meet the wider sustainability objectives of the plan, whilst providing a more resilient strategy.

Adopting such an approach will help sustain existing services and facilities in rural villages, and offers the opportunity to meet local community aspirations. In the case of Hardwick there is local support for the construction of a new village hall, although a recognition that this would result in the loss of much sought after public open space which is already in short supply. By bringing forward sustainable housing growth outside of the Green Belt there is the opportunity to help facilitate the delivery of the new village hall through S106 contributions, in addition to providing new much sought after public open space.

Pigeon supports the use of a Settlement Hierarchy as part of the spatial strategy, and broadly supports the suggested tiers within it.

Pigeon does not, however, support the review of the Settlement Hierarchy in respect of Hardwick. Whilst the review acknowledges that the village is located on the planned Greater Cambridge Partnership route between Cambourne and Cambridge, only one additional point is awarded for this in the scoring calculation. This assessment fails to acknowledge the impact of the planned transport improvements along this corridor, which include the introduction of Scotland Farm Park and Ride directly opposite Hardwick, enhanced cycling connections to Cambridge and Cambourne, and the construction of a new East-West railway station at Cambourne.

Pigeon suggests that during the next stage of the Local Plan process, the Council reviews the scoring system and allocates additional points to settlements which will be significantly more sustainable, with greater access to jobs, education, health, retail and leisure and recreation facilities.

By increasing the score of Hardwick by a single point from 8 to 9 would elevate the village above or on par with many villages identified in the higher tier category of a Minor Rural Centre. These include Girton 7, Gamlingay 7, Papworth Everard 6, Willingham Everard 9.

Pigeon consider Hardwick should be elevated from a Group Village to a Minor Rural Centre, with it capable of accommodating a level of growth far above the indicative maximum housing number

Further support to this argument is offered in the role Cambourne is proposed to serve, where draft policy SC/8 seeks to increase day to day services, bring forward new employment, as well as provide improved connections to surrounding villages. A closer functional relationship between Hardwick and an expanded and better served Cambourne will improve the sustainable credentials of Hardwick.

Turning to the limit of the size of schemes within minor rural centres, group villages and infill villages, setting an indicative maximum number fails to take into account individual site circumstances, and a site-specific approach should be adopted.

We recognise the proposed significant new public infrastructure investment in the corridor between Cambourne and Cambridge, and support the proposed policy direction for Cambourne as a growing employment centre which will provide opportunities for its residents and nearby communities. In particular Pigeon support making of effective connections to surrounding villages, which will further promote opportunities for sustainable growth.

We support the allocation of sites in the rest of the rural area, as this will help sustain and enhance existing services and facilities such as school and shops on which local communities depend, as well as provide much needed affordable housing which meets local need.

We further support the objective to direct new housing growth across this area to locations which are not reliant on the private car. However, we question the very low number of new site allocations proposed, given existing and proposed sustainable transport choices in certain locations.
Some villages in the rest of the rural area are located on public transport corridors, and offer opportunities to bring forward new housing which supports local communities whilst achieving sustainable transport objectives. This is particularly the case for settlements in close proximity to Cambridge. Where such settlements also lie outside of the Green Belt it makes an even stronger rationale for allocating additional housing growth, where commuting via cycling is a realistic alternative.

Pigeon has set out in response to earlier points in this submission, the view that the overall quantity of housing allocations should be increased. We have also reasoned that some existing housing needs (for the affordable or elderly persons markets for example) can best be met in the places where those communities’ needs already exist. Pigeon has supported the overall objective of reducing reliance on private motor vehicle commuting.
An important tool in addressing all of these objectives would be to increase the amount of housing allocated in those parts of the RRA where there are significant, thriving communities and where there is the opportunity for residents to travel to and from Cambridge city by active or public transport.
It is noted that the Council has recognised the potential benefits of this approach in places like Melbourn and Oakington. Other settlements should also be considered to see what medium sized sites can be identified to contribute
• increased numbers overall
• early delivery
• meet local needs
• provide active/public transport choices for new residents
• contribute to local infrastructure provision such as the provision of public open space

build on the success, social and economic capital of thriving communities

Land South of St.Neots Road Hardwick (HELAA site 40273)

Additional information submitted through the call for sites proforma.

Based on information submitted it is our view that the site should be rated overall green for suitability and not red as currently shown. It remains available and achievable and should therefore be considered for inclusion as an additional allocation to assist with early delivery of housing that is not reliant on major infrastructure or planning for delivery of strategic scale development.