Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 210309

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

These representations include the submission of Land at Dernford Reservoir (HELAA Ref: 200751) for the development of a data centre.

The UK currently only has c.500 Data Centres with a power capacity of 1.6GW, while the Government has announced that we need 6GW of AI-capable DC capacity, and the capacity including the pipeline is just 3.6GW.

Dernford Reservoir has a reservation for 450MW of power and can connect to one of three major substations within a 20-mile radius – a pivotal feature. A DC of this size would make it appealing to AI demand from Hyperscalers (Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and oracle) with global customers, as well as major co-locators who lease ‘Racks’ to local business in AI, R and D, life sciences etc. to
enable their growth.

Comment

Representation ID: 210310

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

There is a clear shortage of large-scale plant science, indoor farming and agri-tech type uses in the southern Cambridge corridor, where Dernford Reservoir is located. Surprisingly, no provision has been made in the draft Plan for Data Centre uses. There is considered to be a significant need for this type of a use within the area, particularly given the location of the site in close proximity to the large employment sites at; Granta Park, Babraham, Wellcome Genome and the Biodmedical Campus. The Plan does not conform with National Planning Policy provided within the NPPF which requires Local Planning Authorities to identify suitable locations for data centres. The draft plan does not make any reference to data centres, nor is this requirement identified within the
accompanying Greater Cambridge Warehouse and Industrial Space Needs Assessment.

Comment

Representation ID: 210311

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

The draft Local Plan assumes a ‘central’ rather than a ‘high’ scenario aligning more with a growth trend over the last 20 years than the higher growth of the last 10 years despite national aspirations for sustained economic growth in the area. There is significant concern therefore that the needs identified through the draft Local Plan do not reflect Cambridge’s potential and are not sufficiently
ambitious.

The Government’s “Greater Cambridge: Growth Scenarios” research (2025) envisages that additional
activity in knowledge intensive sectors and housing delivery could enable a substantial increase in employment, over and above that aspired to by Greater Cambridge. This would suggest that Greater Cambridge’s strategy is not as ambitious as it should be and critically, not as ambitious as the Government would like it to be.

Object

Representation ID: 210312

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

We have significant concern that the needs identified do not reflect Cambridge’s potential and are not sufficiently ambitious.

The Employment and Housing Evidence Update 2025 (EHEU), which informs the Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan, assumes a ‘central’ rather than a ‘high’ scenario, in effect downgrading growth to a lower longer term growth trend rather than the more aspirational rate of growth seen in Greater Cambridge over the last 10 years.

Yet, the Government established the Cambridge Growth Company with the driving goal to maximise Cambridge’s full economic potential and to deliver nationally significant growth. The Government also recently announced a £400 million investment in Cambridge to expansion.

Therefore, it is not clear why the draft Local Plan would assume impediment to the higher growth scenarios and adopt the ‘central’ scenario.

Object

Representation ID: 210313

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The forecast figures conflict with the “Greater Cambridge: Growth Scenarios” research published by the Government, which suggested that Greater Cambridge could support 380,000 to 465,000 jobs by 2050. This represents a 60% to almost doubling of the size of the
existing Greater Cambridge workforce (236,000 jobs) and would see employment around 20% to 45% higher than in the baseline forecast (321,000 jobs).

Whilst these scenarios stretch as far as 2050 it is clear that these figures are significantly higher than the 73,300 new jobs envisaged by the draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

We are extremely concerned therefore that the economic forecasts for the Local Plan are not as ambitious as they should be and do not match up to the Government's aspirations for the area. Consequently, too few sites are allocated for employment development.

Object

Representation ID: 210314

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

We object to the employment allocations as listed in the policy (point 2). There is need to identify additional sites for employment development in Greater Cambridge, including to the south of Cambridge. An additional site should be allocated to deliver a major Data Centre tailored to the needs of the AI boom, complemented by innovation-inducing infrastructure in agricultural technology to contribute the local community’s talent pool and economy, whilst making a global presence for Cambridge in AI.

Currently the employment allocations as listed at Policy S/DS: Development Strategy are predominantly to the north (Waterbeach) the North West (off the A14) and the South (Cambridge Bio Medical Campus and Wellcome Genome Campus). There is need for additional sites to be allocated for employment development within the south of Cambridge.

Comment

Representation ID: 210315

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

No provision is made within the plan for Data Centres and there also needs to be specific allocations made to meet the requirements for plant science, indoor farming and Agri-tech R&D employment accommodation along with complimentary facilities which at Dernford Reservoir would include community uses (including Scouts HQ), engaging with local charities, sports facilities and public open space. It is strongly recommended that the Cambridge Agri-Tech and Community Campus opportunity presented at
Dernford Reservoir is considered in this context.

Object

Representation ID: 210316

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Russell Smith Farms

Number of people: 2

Agent: Carter Jonas

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

We object to draft Policy S/GB: The Cambridge Green Belt on the basis that none of these purposes are as listed at paragraph 143 of the NPPF. Having regard to the merging of places paragraph 143 makes it clear that the purpose of the Green Belt is ‘specifically to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another’ as opposed to ‘communities in the environs…’.

It is notable that the policy does not refence Grey Belt, nor does the policy allow for any consideration of need or Green Belt review over the plan period. Notwithstanding, that Green Belt release has been considered acceptable to facilitate development at East Cambridge and Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

We object to Policy S/GB: The Cambridge Green Belt on the basis that further green belt release is required to meet additional need for employment floorspace.