Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Wimpole Associates Ltd support Policy I/TH and the development of new travel hub sites and/or improvements to the quality and attractiveness of existing park and ride sites. The supporting text to Policy I/TH states, at paragraph 10.17, that “There is great potential for the function of traditional P&R sites to be expanded to become “travel hubs” (or “mobility hubs”) that enable interchange between a range of modes transport and in a range of directions, rather than solely moving people from their car to a bus, or from Cambridge’s periphery to the city centre…The creation of travel hubs and the creation of linked trips can play an important role in reducing road-traffic congestion in urban areas, vehicle-related pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and the risks of road traffic accidents.”

Land adjacent to A1303 and M11 at Rectory Farm (2025 Call for Sites reference 222cfe, see also enclosed Site Location Plan) presents an ideal opportunity to for a new Travel Hub, should the Councils consider it is not appropriate for residential or commercial development. It is located immediately adjoining the existing built edge of Cambridge, within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and also located within the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge bus route, with the nearest proposed bus stops to the site being at Coton and Cambridge West (to the south of the site).

The site extends to circa 20 hectares, is available now and is within single ownership. The land comprises Rectory Farm house and a collection of associated outbuildings, surrounded by greenfield land. The land is bound by the M11 (junction 13) to the east, the A1303 to the north and existing vegetation to the south and west. There is an existing vehicular access to the site from the A1303. A Public Right of Way (PRoW) (55/5) runs along part of the southern boundary of the Site. This links Coton to Cambridge via a footbridge over the M11. Rectory Farm is currently operating as a hotel and wedding venue. The site is washed over by the Cambridge Green Belt but is not subject to any other policy designations. The site was submitted under the Greater Cambridge Draft Local Plan ‘Sites Hub’ on 10 December 2025 (under reference 222cfe). This submission provides additional information to support that submission.

The site could serve as a Travel Hub that either alleviates pressure on Madingley Park and Ride or replaces it entirely, thus allowing the existing Madingley Park and Ride site (a highly sustainable, brownfield site) to be freed up and used to accommodate much needed housing or employment growth at Eddington or West Cambridge. This would be a similar proposal to the Cambridge South West Travel Hub (CSWTH), to the west of M11 junction 11 and within the Cambridge Green Belt. The CSWTH benefits from planning permission and enabling works are now underway. Furthermore, local transport infrastructure, such as a Travel Hub, could also be considered as not ‘inappropriate’ development within the Green Belt having regard to paragraph 154 criterion h (iii) of the NPPF (2024) ‘provided they preserve its openness and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it’.

Wimpole Associates Ltd support Policy I/TH and the development of new travel hub sites and/or improvements to the quality and attractiveness of existing park and ride sites. The supporting text to Policy I/TH states, at paragraph 10.17, that “There is great potential for the function of traditional P&R sites to be expanded to become “travel hubs” (or “mobility hubs”) that enable interchange between a range of modes transport and in a range of directions, rather than solely moving people from their car to a bus, or from Cambridge’s periphery to the city centre…The creation of travel hubs and the creation of linked trips can play an important role in reducing road-traffic congestion in urban areas, vehicle-related pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and the risks of road traffic accidents.”

Land adjacent to A1303 and M11 at Rectory Farm (2025 Call for Sites reference 222cfe, see also enclosed Site Location Plan) presents an ideal opportunity to for a new Travel Hub, should the Councils consider it is not appropriate for residential or commercial development. It is located immediately adjoining the existing built edge of Cambridge, within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and also located within the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge bus route, with the nearest proposed bus stops to the site being at Coton and Cambridge West (to the south of the site).

The site extends to circa 20 hectares, is available now and is within single ownership. The land comprises Rectory Farm house and a collection of associated outbuildings, surrounded by greenfield land. The land is bound by the M11 (junction 13) to the east, the A1303 to the north and existing vegetation to the south and west. There is an existing vehicular access to the site from the A1303. A Public Right of Way (PRoW) (55/5) runs along part of the southern boundary of the Site. This links Coton to Cambridge via a footbridge over the M11. Rectory Farm is currently operating as a hotel and wedding venue. The site is washed over by the Cambridge Green Belt but is not subject to any other policy designations. The site was submitted under the Greater Cambridge Draft Local Plan ‘Sites Hub’ on 10 December 2025 (under reference 222cfe). This submission provides additional information to support that submission.

The site could serve as a Travel Hub that either alleviates pressure on Madingley Park and Ride or replaces it entirely, thus allowing the existing Madingley Park and Ride site (a highly sustainable, brownfield site) to be freed up and used to accommodate much needed housing or employment growth at Eddington or West Cambridge. This would be a similar proposal to the Cambridge South West Travel Hub (CSWTH), to the west of M11 junction 11 and within the Cambridge Green Belt. The CSWTH benefits from planning permission and enabling works are now underway. Furthermore, local transport infrastructure, such as a Travel Hub, could also be considered as not ‘inappropriate’ development within the Green Belt having regard to paragraph 154 criterion h (iii) of the NPPF (2024) ‘provided they preserve its openness and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it’.

Wimpole Associates Ltd support Policy I/TH and the development of new travel hub sites and/or improvements to the quality and attractiveness of existing park and ride sites. The supporting text to Policy I/TH states, at paragraph 10.17, that “There is great potential for the function of traditional P&R sites to be expanded to become “travel hubs” (or “mobility hubs”) that enable interchange between a range of modes transport and in a range of directions, rather than solely moving people from their car to a bus, or from Cambridge’s periphery to the city centre…The creation of travel hubs and the creation of linked trips can play an important role in reducing road-traffic congestion in urban areas, vehicle-related pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and the risks of road traffic accidents.”

Land adjacent to A1303 and M11 at Rectory Farm (2025 Call for Sites reference 222cfe, see also enclosed Site Location Plan) presents an ideal opportunity to for a new Travel Hub, should the Councils consider it is not appropriate for residential or commercial development. It is located immediately adjoining the existing built edge of Cambridge, within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and also located within the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge bus route, with the nearest proposed bus stops to the site being at Coton and Cambridge West (to the south of the site).

The site extends to circa 20 hectares, is available now and is within single ownership. The land comprises Rectory Farm house and a collection of associated outbuildings, surrounded by greenfield land. The land is bound by the M11 (junction 13) to the east, the A1303 to the north and existing vegetation to the south and west. There is an existing vehicular access to the site from the A1303. A Public Right of Way (PRoW) (55/5) runs along part of the southern boundary of the Site. This links Coton to Cambridge via a footbridge over the M11. Rectory Farm is currently operating as a hotel and wedding venue. The site is washed over by the Cambridge Green Belt but is not subject to any other policy designations. The site was submitted under the Greater Cambridge Draft Local Plan ‘Sites Hub’ on 10 December 2025 (under reference 222cfe). This submission provides additional information to support that submission.

The site could serve as a Travel Hub that either alleviates pressure on Madingley Park and Ride or replaces it entirely, thus allowing the existing Madingley Park and Ride site (a highly sustainable, brownfield site) to be freed up and used to accommodate much needed housing or employment growth at Eddington or West Cambridge. This would be a similar proposal to the Cambridge South West Travel Hub (CSWTH), to the west of M11 junction 11 and within the Cambridge Green Belt. The CSWTH benefits from planning permission and enabling works are now underway. Furthermore, local transport infrastructure, such as a Travel Hub, could also be considered as not ‘inappropriate’ development within the Green Belt having regard to paragraph 154 criterion h (iii) of the NPPF (2024) ‘provided they preserve its openness and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it’.

Wimpole Associates Ltd object to Policy S/GB.

Firstly, although the Policy states that supporting evidence studies include the Greater Cambridge Green Belt Assessment (2021), it is understood that a revised Green Belt Assessment will be completed and published after the Regulation 18 Consultation closes. It is argued the revised Green Belt Assessment should have informed the Draft Local Plan and been published as part of and the Regulation 18 Consultation.

Secondly, the omission of any reference to ‘Grey Belt’ within the Draft Policy S/GB is challenged. The NPPF (2024) introduced a clear duty for Grey Belt land to be identified when undertaking Green Belt Assessments for the purposes of determining applications; reinforced within the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) (Para 001 ref.001 64-001-20250225). The direction of travel towards authorities being required to identify Grey Belt land within local plans is further evidenced within the forthcoming Consultation Draft NPPF (2025) (GB2[3]) and at Appendix E where the criteria for undertaking Green Belt Assessments is outlined). Hence, regardless of whether the Draft Local Plan can meet the identified needs for growth without Green Belt release, the relevant Plan Policy (S/GB) should include explicit reference to Grey Belt (consistent with the NPPF) and the identification of Grey Belt land within Greater Cambridge. To ensure the longevity of the Local Plan, it is recommended the revised Green Belt Assessment is undertaken with regard to Appendix E of the NPPF 2025.

Thirdly, Bidwells understand that the Council’s consultants (LDA) are currently considering the process of examining Grey Belt issues and possibly Grey Belt sites across Greater Cambridge. Officers have stated at various committees that Grey Belt sites are not required to accommodate housing allocations and the Draft Local Plan ‘is not configured for this’. However, the fact LDA are considering an assessment of Grey Belt suggests the Draft Local Plan does need to cover this important issue given the increasing importance of Grey Belt policy in the current NPPF (2024) and the Consultation Draft (2025).

Identifying Grey Belt land within the revised Green Belt Assessment and Draft Local Plan is hence both a policy requirement and crucial to ensuring the Local Plan promotes sustainable patterns of growth (as required by the NPPF) and is robust and flexible in providing a sufficient supply of suitable land in order to meet the ‘supercharged growth’ mandated for the Greater Cambridge by Government.

Overall, it is considered that Draft Policy S/GB is not consistent with national policy, does not reflect a positively prepared plan and is not justified. Pertinent to ensuring the Plan is sound will require:

● The publication of a revised Green Belt Assessment to support the Local Plan
● A consideration of higher growth targets and subsequent review of the Green Belt / Grey Belt where necessary
● The identification and inclusion of the Cambridge Grey Belt within the Local Plan to guide development to sustainable Grey Belt sites.

The Council must take a positive approach to the preparation of the Plan. Its failure to engage properly with the Green Belt has not led the plan to an effective spatial strategy. There is a superior sustainable plan to be formed by properly considering Green Belt sites that can better underpin sustainable development.