Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 203313

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

The Plan’s development strategy, which underpins the Plan as a whole and its requirement to meet identified local housing and employment needs in full, is flawed, as set out in our representations submitted via email, in respect of land at Prospects Royston (previously Three Prospects Farm, land east of Royston, HELAA ID 40511).

Object

Representation ID: 203317

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Plan’s development strategy is flawed for three reasons:

1) Its major allocations rely too heavily upon the timely provision of strategic infrastructure, the delivery of which is both uncertain and outside the control of the plan-making authorities;

2) It fails to incorporate a ‘fall-back’ strategy whereby sufficient options for housing and employment is allocated, or at least reserved or safeguarded, so that local needs are still met in full in the event of one or more of its largest allocations not delivering as proposed; and

3) It fails to plan for growth at the market town of Royston. Such growth would provide the ‘fall-back’ strategy needed for the Plan and at the same time it would help to meet housing and employment needs and address existing pressures on parts of Royston’s infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 203325

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

For the reasons described in our representations submitted via email, Policy S/DE should be revised to include an ‘edge of Royston’ allocation showing our client’s Prospects Royston site, or at least a reserve/safeguarded site for mixed-use development, capable of accommodating the various land-uses described within the Vision Statement and illustrative masterplan, including approximately 1,400 dwellings, 50,000 square metres of employment floorspace, nature park, sports hub, primary school, incidental park and ride and other transport, social and green infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 203328

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

For the reasons described in our representations submitted via email, Policy S/DE should be revised to include an ‘edge of Royston’ map showing Land at Prospects, Royston as an allocation, or at least a reserve/safeguarded site for mixed-use development, capable of accommodating the various land-uses described within the Vision Statement and illustrative masterplan, including approximately 1,400 dwellings, 50,000 square metres of employment floorspace, nature park, sports hub, primary school, incidental park and ride and other transport, social and green infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 203331

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

Policy S/SH should be revised to identify land beyond the A505 at Royston as being in the second tier of the hierarchy, below the Cambridge urban area itself but above Cambourne and the other new settlements and on a par with sites on the edge of Cambridge as a location for strategic and sustainable housing and employment growth. This is set out in our representations submitted via email, in respect of land at Prospects Royston (previously Three Prospects Farm, land east of Royston, HELAA ID 40511).

Comment

Representation ID: 211419

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

The North Herts Economic Strategy 2025-2030 (North Herts DC, June 2025) notes at page 17 that:

“Given its proximity to both Cambridge and London, the district’s asset base ought to be valuable – albeit there is a long term programme to work through. The York Way industrial area in Royston is already home to some major advanced manufacturing and life sciences businesses and in developing it further, every attempt should be made to forge wider and deeper links to the Cambridge Sub-Region."

The Economic Strategy also acknowledges that the York Way industrial area in Royston already accommodates a cluster of ‘major advanced manufacturing and life sciences’ but we note that there remains very limited land/opportunity to grow this site further, with most of the allocated land now being taken up. At the same time, care is needed to avoid competing with the established and emerging Greater Cambridge supply and so some consideration needs to be given to the Greater Cambridge Plan’s evidence base.

Whilst the Plan now includes two new class B2/B8 allocations, this leaves the Cambridge supply effectively limited only to these two sites, such that possible investors seeking industrial floorspace are faced almost with a duopoly position.

Provision of additional land for class B2/B8 floorspace as part of Royston’s cluster of ‘major advanced manufacturing and life sciences’, should be supported, both to meet North Hertfordshire objectives and address any Greater Cambridge shortfalls that may flow from the Local Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 211420

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Wilson Bowden Developments Limited

Agent: Rapleys

Policy S/DS should be amended to state (our proposed additional wording is part c below):

‘The need for jobs and homes will be met as far as possible in the following order of preference, having regard to the purposes of the Cambridge Green Belt:
a) Within the Cambridge urban area;
b) On the edge of Cambridge;
c) On the edge of Royston;
d) At an expanded Cambourne;
e) At other new settlements; and
f) In the rural southern cluster and wider rural area at Rural Centres and Minor Rural Centres.'