Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 208894

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

NLHRL have land interests in Great Shelford (land at Mingle Lane) and are promoting the site for residential development for approximately 110 dwellings.

The site was originally identified as a preferred option for development at the ‘First Proposals’ stage of the GCLP under site reference “S/RSC/HW” accommodating approximately 100 dwellings. Nightingale Land have acquired additional land to the north that could increase the development potential of the site to approximately 190 dwellings. The site has subsequently been removed from the current consultation following the identification of land at Grange Farm.

The site meets the Grey Belt criteria and sustainability of the site remains unchanged from the Council's initial identification of the site. The site should be reintroduced as an allocation.

Comment

Representation ID: 208895

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The Council has included in its evidence a Duty to Cooperate Statement of Compliance and Statement of Common Ground. In principle, it is supported that these interim documents have been prepared to support the current consultation.

Whilst it is recognised that there is engagement between Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council as this reflects the geographical and functional relationship of the area, there are wide ranging cross boundary strategic issues which the Councils will need to demonstrate a written record of the progress to the point of submission with relevant key stakeholders, particularly in relation key infrastructure bodies and whether any requests to accommodate unmet housing needs of neighbouring authorities have been received.

Comment

Representation ID: 208896

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The results of the SA will need to explain clearly why some policy options have progressed and others have been rejected through a comparative and equal
assessment of all reasonable alternatives.

Although the Council have considered a range of alternatives, it should be noted that no assessment has currently been undertaken concerning Grey Belt land.

Paragraph 148 of the current Framework states that where it is necessary to release Green Belt land for development, plans should give priority to previously developed land, then consider grey belt land which is not previously developed and then other Green Belt locations. The Council has considered the release of Green Belt land but not Grey Belt land, and therefore this should be considered as a reasonable alternative to help inform the proposed spatial strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 208897

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

Taking the delays into account and in the context of a local and national housing crisis, together with the acute affordable housing need in Greater Cambridge and
the sites excellent connectivity to Shelford Train Station, it is nonsensical to delete the proposed allocation at Mingle Lane. The development of this site will assist in delivering a number of benefits to the local community including market and affordable housing needs as identified in the recently made Stapleford and Great Shelford Neighbourhood Plan (SGSNP). This SGSNP was developed on the understanding that the Local Plan would allocate the site for development to meet the identified housing needs. Consequently, the site should be reallocated for development within the draft Local Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 208898

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The proposed spatial strategy does not cater for the needs of many local communities across Greater Cambridge, such as Great Shelford. Whilst the vision sets out an appropriate aspiration, the policies as drafted do not facilitate the delivery of non strategic sites that don’t require extensive infrastructure, which are required to provide the homes required in response to local communities housing needs. This will result in significant consequences on the ability of local communities accessing good quality housing and further perpetuates the existing affordability issues present in the area.

Comment

Representation ID: 208899

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The Council seeks to meet the objectively assessed needs in Greater Cambridge over the plan period 2024-2045 through the provision of a minimum 48,195 new homes. There are no exceptional circumstances that would warrant a different approach other than the standard method being used as a starting point to determine the housing requirement for Greater Cambridge. However, these should be seen as the minimum housing requirement to plan for. In this regard, the jobs target is 73,300 additional jobs. It is noted that the jobs target is not aligned with the housing target. Consequently, a job target that is higher than the housing target would require potential employees to commute into Greater Cambridge to fill those jobs. This outcome being an increase in-commuting to Greater Cambridge most of which would be by car.

Comment

Representation ID: 208900

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

NLHRL consider that there is a need for more housing in Greater Cambridge, namely to address the current housing crisis that is seen at both a national and local level, providing affordable housing which is an acute issue in the area and to support employment growth given Cambridge’s role as a key economic driver and its role in terms of economic growth nationally. Whilst the proposed housing requirement seeks to meet the minimum level of
housing required by the standard method, it should be increased to align with the jobs target and to support affordable housing delivery.

Comment

Representation ID: 208901

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

Policy S/JH also sets out housing requirements for designated neighbourhood areas for which any additional or amended neighbourhood areas would be calculated as set out in Appendix D. The methodology is calculated based on the overall housing requirement, the development strategy, the population of the neighbourhood area and its proportion of the Greater Cambridge population. It therefore leaves a remaining
housing requirement of 6,305 dwellings with no delivery associated with North East Cambridge to be met from other sources or windfall sites.

For Stapleford and Great Shelford it identifies a requirement of 134 homes to be delivered over the period 2024 – 2045. In this regard, the plan provides no mechanism for the delivery of the 134 homes.

Comment

Representation ID: 208902

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The Stapleford & Great Shelford Housing Needs Assessment prepared by AECOM (2023) confirms an affordable housing need of 348 homes for social and affordable rent and 300 homes for affordable home ownership over the period 2023 – 2043.Following the making of the SGSNP, the Greater Cambridge authorities have since removed the proposed allocation at land at Mingle Lane. As a result, it is unlikely that any affordable housing will be delivered given rural exception sites. The SGSNP is therefore in a policy vacuum given that it was prepared on the basis of land at Mingle Lane being allocated for development. If a review were to occur there are no available brownfield sites at scale which could accommodate the level of development required.

Comment

Representation ID: 208903

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Nightingale Land and Hill Residential Ltd

Agent: Nightingale Land

The GCLP places a significant over reliance on the ability of strategic and/or new settlements as part of the spatial strategy. It proposes 44% of the housing target would be delivered at new settlements.

Whilst the development strategy identifies a number of strategic sites it fails to identify growth in sustainable settlements, such as Great Shelford, in terms of sites
of a less strategic scale which are required for existing and future housing needs across many communities within the plan area. If any slippage occurs on these strategic sites, then it jeopardises the Councils’ ability to demonstrate a flexible and responsive supply of housing land over the duration of the plan period. Indeed, it is not considered that the Council is currently able to demonstrate a housing land supply at present.