Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Fowlmere is identified as a Group Village of which its continued identification as such is generally supported, given its range of services and facilities. It remains unclear through the Draft Plan why the level of housing that is able to come forward in such locations is limited to 8 dwellings (or exceptionally 15), where opportunities may exist for increased numbers to be delivered.

Whilst the Settlement Hierarchy provides support for the wider Development Strategy within the Draft Plan and as such, a framework for directing development towards the most sustainable locations, it should not be applied in an overly restrictive manner that limits appropriate and proportionate growth within the rural settlements.

Group Villages play a hugely important role in the social and economic fabric of Greater Cambridge and it is vital that a level of proportionate growth is explicitly supported through policy that enables long-term vitality. Moreover, it avoids risk of stagnating the growth of smaller settlements, which could lead to declines in local services and facilities and an increased necessity for residents to travel and rely on larger settlements for day-to-day needs.

The principle of a spatial strategy that prioritises the delivery of new homes in sustainable development locations, such as within the Cambridge Urban Area and on its edge, as well as through planned new settlements, is supported. However, the Development Strategy should place a clearer emphasis on the role of proportionate growth within rural settlements, to supplement strategic sites and new settlements.

Whilst it is anticipated that the strategic sites and urban extensions will contribute to a significant quantum of housing, delivering much of the identified housing need over the Plan-period, the importance of enabling plan-led and organic growth in village locations should not be understated, where development can support the long-term vitality of rural communities, sustain existing services and facilities, and contribute to the delivery of local housing needs, particularly with regards to affordable homes and other specialist housing types.

The recognition within the Plan to account for a need for jobs and homes within rural areas (both in Rural Centres and Minor Rural Centres) is supported, however there should be further and more explicit direction. It is clear from the Illustrative Map, which shows locations of proposed new housing development in the Council area, that very little growth is directed towards the south and southeast of Cambridge. The development of approximately 65 dwellings in a sustainable rural settlement represents a modest and proportionate expansion of the village, which contributes valuably towards housing need and aligns with national policy objectives in supporting thriving communities.

We support the use of Defined Development Extents as settlement boundaries and acknowledge the requirement to identify a means of providing clarity in plan-making. It should however be acknowledged within the policy, that such a boundary reflects only a small snapshot in time and restricts flexibility outside of the plan-making process to enable logical and sustainable village extensions.

Such rigid application of this policy risks adding further constraint to otherwise sustainable development opportunities which further direct any level of organic growth away from village locations that are capable of accommodating proportionate housing development, and furthermore where it should be greater encouraged.

The Draft Plan states clearly that “We want our rural villages to continue to thrive and sustain their local services, but we don’t want to encourage lots of new homes in places where car travel is the easiest or only way to get around.” Whilst the broader aims of this statement are supported, the Plan should be far more explicitly proactive in allocating some anticipated growth within the region to village locations.

It is appreciated that some rural settlements will be less-sustainably connected with regards to transportation and that mode of transportation is an important consideration, though should not be the sole consideration. It should be recognised that village locations have access to bus services which should be attributed due consideration, alongside the evolving accessibility and availability of EVs, which, although still private transport modes, can help reduce the overall resultant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

The development of around 65 homes in Fowlmere represents a scale that can be successfully integrated into the settlement, providing a strong village gateway that can help contribute to the longer-term support for local services, facilities and social infrastructure.

Recommendation: The Greater Cambridge Local Plan should ensure that rural settlements are proportionately represented in terms of housing allocation, to ensure that there remains a plan-led and strategically aligned approach to sustainable growth across the region, without an over-reliance on new settlements and larger extensions.

These policies are supported insofar as they seek to encourage a reduction in energy demands through sustainable building methods and practices. Croudace Homes supports such initiatives.

These, and other environmental policies demonstrate that development should not be promoted on the basis of its connection to existing transport links alone. Wider regard should be had to the scope for the development to achieve the highest sustainability standards in terms of energy efficiency, access to and promotion of renewable energy sources and the sensitivity to the immediate environment.

The policy requirement for major developments within Greater Cambridge to provide a minimum of a 20% Biodiversity Net Gain is considered excessive and without sound basis for inclusion.

Currently, the mandatory requirement set at Government level is for 10%, which is seen as a sufficient post-development biodiversity gain to ensure positive impacts and mitigations on habitats. The requirement to deliver a 20% gain is likely to bring with it substantial additional constraint to development schemes and risks creating delay and uncertainty in housing delivery.

The principle of a spatial strategy that prioritises the delivery of new homes in sustainable development locations, such as within the Cambridge Urban Area and on its edge, as well as through planned new settlements, is supported. However, the Development Strategy should place a clearer emphasis on the role of proportionate growth within rural settlements, to supplement strategic sites and new settlements.

Whilst it is anticipated that the strategic sites and urban extensions will contribute to a significant quantum of housing, delivering much of the identified housing need over the Plan-period, the importance of enabling plan-led and organic growth in village locations should not be understated, where development can support the long-term vitality of rural communities, sustain existing services and facilities, and contribute to the delivery of local housing needs, particularly with regards to affordable homes and other specialist housing types.

The recognition within the Plan to account for a need for jobs and homes within rural areas (both in Rural Centres and Minor Rural Centres) is supported, however there should be further and more explicit direction. It is clear from the Illustrative Map, which shows locations of proposed new housing development in the Council area, that very little growth is directed towards the south and southeast of Cambridge. The development of approximately 65 dwellings in a sustainable rural settlement represents a modest and proportionate expansion of the village, which contributes valuably towards housing need and aligns with national policy objectives in supporting thriving communities.