Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

West Suffolk council adopted a new local plan in July 2025. This sets out its approach to meeting large scale strategic logistics provision (more than 9,000sqm floorspace per unit) from national and regional demand through a sub regional approach to assessing needs and site identification. The approach of policy J/NE fails to meet the requirements of the NPPF (2024) and PPG or accord with the approach in the neighbouring authority.

PPG: Housing and economic need assessments states in reference to the provision of strategic logistics facilities serving national and regional markets at paragraph 031 ‘Where a need for such facilities may exist, strategic policy-making authorities should collaborate with other authorities, infrastructure providers and other interests to identify the scale of need across the relevant market areas’. (paragraph 031).

In light of the West Suffolk local plan approach, NPPF and PPG, the council asks Greater Cambridge to work collaboratively with its neighbouring authorities, including West Suffolk to seek to identify and address wider needs for large scale strategic logistics provision and data centres arising from national and regional demand and taking a strategic cross border approach. In particular as no provision for large scale B8 units or those meeting regional or national demand is made in allocations S/RRA/SCS and S/SHF and neither does policy J/NE support such proposals.

West Suffolk council adopted a new local plan in July 2025. This sets out its approach to meeting large scale strategic logistics provision (more than 9,000sqm floorspace per unit) from national and regional demand through a sub regional approach to assessing needs and site identification. The approach of policy J/NE fails to meet the requirements of the NPPF (2024) and PPG or accord with the approach in the neighbouring authority.

PPG: Housing and economic need assessments states in reference to the provision of strategic logistics facilities serving national and regional markets at paragraph 031 ‘Where a need for such facilities may exist, strategic policy-making authorities should collaborate with other authorities, infrastructure providers and other interests to identify the scale of need across the relevant market areas’. (paragraph 031).

In light of the West Suffolk local plan approach, NPPF and PPG, the council asks Greater Cambridge to work collaboratively with its neighbouring authorities, including West Suffolk to seek to identify and address wider needs for large scale strategic logistics provision and data centres arising from national and regional demand and taking a strategic cross border approach. In particular as no provision for large scale B8 units or those meeting regional or national demand is made in allocations S/RRA/SCS and S/SHF and neither does policy J/NE support such proposals.

West Suffolk council adopted a new local plan in July 2025. This sets out its approach to meeting large scale strategic logistics provision (more than 9,000sqm floorspace per unit) from national and regional demand through a sub regional approach to assessing needs and site identification. The approach of policy J/NE fails to meet the requirements of the NPPF (2024) and PPG or accord with the approach in the neighbouring authority.

PPG: Housing and economic need assessments states in reference to the provision of strategic logistics facilities serving national and regional markets at paragraph 031 ‘Where a need for such facilities may exist, strategic policy-making authorities should collaborate with other authorities, infrastructure providers and other interests to identify the scale of need across the relevant market areas’. (paragraph 031).

In light of the West Suffolk local plan approach, NPPF and PPG, the council asks Greater Cambridge to work collaboratively with its neighbouring authorities, including West Suffolk to seek to identify and address wider needs for large scale strategic logistics provision and data centres arising from national and regional demand and taking a strategic cross border approach. In particular as no provision for large scale B8 units or those meeting regional or national demand is made in allocations S/RRA/SCS and S/SHF and neither does policy J/NE support such proposals.

The overall level of growth planned for Greater Cambridge and two planned developments (Policy S/GF: Land Adjacent to A11 and A1307 at Grange Farm and Policy S/CE Cambridge East) are expected to impact upon West Suffolk given its proximity and the functioning of the surrounding towns of Newmarket and Haverhill. This will require collaborative working with West Suffolk and a full assessment through the preparation of the local plan evidence base.

It is not clear the nature of these proposed connections and whether they will link to the towns of Haverhill and Newmarket within West Suffolk. The council would welcome opportunity to work collaboratively and co-operatively to understand the detail of these proposals.

The overall level of growth planned for Greater Cambridge and two planned developments (Policy S/GF: Land Adjacent to A11 and A1307 at Grange Farm and Policy S/CE Cambridge East) are expected to impact upon West Suffolk given its proximity and the functioning of the surrounding towns of Newmarket and Haverhill. This will require collaborative working with West Suffolk and a full assessment through the preparation of the local plan evidence base.

The overall level of growth planned for Greater Cambridge and in particular these two planned developments, Cambridge east (S/CE) and Grange Farm (S/GF), will require a strategic transport assessment to consider the cumulative impact on the highway network and highway safety in particular on the A14, A11 and A1307. West Suffolk will engage in collaborative working to fully understand how this will be assessed, what the infrastructure requirements are and any mitigation of impact in particular on Haverhill, in the context of the A1307 and its capacity. This in particular will require careful consideration of the impact on commuting traffic travelling from Haverhill to Cambridge and the A14.

In terms of supporting infrastructure, Greater Cambridge will need to determine what the impact of the proposed growth will have on capacity of education and health facilities, how and when these facilities can be developed to ensure sufficient provision is in place at the right time to avoid placing pressures on facilities and services on the nearby town of Haverhill. A comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the proposed new settlement on Haverhill and West Suffolk is required.

For the proposed new settlement at Grange Farm, further details will be required setting out the programme for delivery in the form of a trajectory. The delivery strategy includes a table showing the proposed delivery with a typographical error suggesting 2,550 homes will be delivered at Grange Farm from 2024 to 2025, the end date is incorrect.

Greater Cambridge will also need to set out further detail for the steps in delivering these site allocations to ensure any impacts can be mitigated.

West Suffolk council wish to be consulted on the outline planning application and preparation of the master plans, design code and parameter plan for both strategic sites referred to above, in particular in relation to proposed timing of delivery of infrastructure, services and facilities.

West Suffolk will want to engage in Greater Cambridge in its preparation of an Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) which we understand is being prepared for local plan reg 19 stage, to understand how Greater Cambridge are dealing with the infrastructure issues.

Following this local plan consultation, West Suffolk will engage with Greater Cambridge in the preparation of a Statement of Common Ground addressing strategic cross boundary matters, including addressing housing and employment needs (including strategic logistics), water and infrastructure (including strategic transport, data centres and digital infrastructure).

The overall level of growth planned for Greater Cambridge and in particular these two planned developments, Cambridge east (S/CE) and Grange Farm (S/GF), will require a strategic transport assessment to consider the cumulative impact on the highway network and highway safety in particular on the A14, A11 and A1307. West Suffolk will engage in collaborative working to fully understand how this will be assessed, what the infrastructure requirements are and any mitigation of impact in particular on Haverhill, in the context of the A1307 and its capacity. This in particular will require careful consideration of the impact on commuting traffic travelling from Haverhill to Cambridge and the A14.

In terms of supporting infrastructure, Greater Cambridge will need to determine what the impact of the proposed growth will have on capacity of education and health facilities, how and when these facilities can be developed to ensure sufficient provision is in place at the right time to avoid placing pressures on facilities and services on the nearby town of Haverhill. A comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the proposed new settlement on Haverhill and West Suffolk is required.

For the proposed new settlement at Grange Farm, further details will be required setting out the programme for delivery in the form of a trajectory. The delivery strategy includes a table showing the proposed delivery with a typographical error suggesting 2,550 homes will be delivered at Grange Farm from 2024 to 2025, the end date is incorrect.

Greater Cambridge will also need to set out further detail for the steps in delivering these site allocations to ensure any impacts can be mitigated.

West Suffolk council wish to be consulted on the outline planning application and preparation of the master plans, design code and parameter plan for both strategic sites referred to above, in particular in relation to proposed timing of delivery of infrastructure, services and facilities.

West Suffolk will want to engage in Greater Cambridge in its preparation of an Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) which we understand is being prepared for local plan reg 19 stage, to understand how Greater Cambridge are dealing with the infrastructure issues.

Following this local plan consultation, West Suffolk will engage with Greater Cambridge in the preparation of a Statement of Common Ground addressing strategic cross boundary matters, including addressing housing and employment needs (including strategic logistics), water and infrastructure (including strategic transport, data centres and digital infrastructure).

The Draft Plan Duty to Cooperate Compliance Statement dated October 2025, states that West Suffolk council did not respond to a letter dated 4 June 2025. This letter asked if, ahead of the First Proposals consultation whether there were any opportunities in West Suffolk that could accommodate any of the housing need identified in Greater Cambridge, and if so where these were.

West Suffolk council can confirm it is not seeking to accommodate any housing need identified in Greater Cambridge.