Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 210911

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

We agree with clause 1c. Stapleford and Great Shelford Neighbourhood Plan outlines aspirational active travel routes linking Great Shelford, Dernford Fen SSSI and Sawston Village College, which could benefit from such financial contributions and extend the existing Sawston Greenway network. A Greenway is also necessary to link Stapleford/Great Shelford to Whittlesford Parkway Station to access fast trains to and from London Liverpool St without having to negotiate fast-moving and dazzling traffic on the A1301. We are also keen to ensure that pedestrian and cycling access in the vicinity of the former Spicers site is maintained, noting that previous planning approval for Huawei to redevelop the site would have reduced passage through/nearby on the grounds of contamination issues.

Comment

Representation ID: 210912

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

We strongly support clause 1: a multimodal hub with access and station improvements is crucial to providing sustainable transport in this area. We support clause 2. A safe, more direct and dedicated connection between Stapleford/Great Shelford and Whittlesford Parkway Station is needed to replace cycling in fast-moving and dazzling traffic on the A1301.

Comment

Representation ID: 210913

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

Policy CC/SD clause 1 – we are broadly supportive of this policy, but we are concerned about the exclusion of individual household applications from Sustainability Statement requirements, most particularly household applications for sizeable extensions or knock-down-rebuild. This is an important missed opportunity to improve the sustainability of existing properties. Many households would wish to do this as part of their renovation/building work and would benefit greatly from a single point of direction in what and how to prioritise their resources in this respect. We appreciate that creating a separate Sustainability Statement would be untenable, but it could and should be included in the Planning Statement provided alongside the application. Much of what is listed in para 4.11 as guidance on Sustainability Statement content could be readily incorporated into a Planning Statement for an individual householder application.

Comment

Representation ID: 210914

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

We are broadly supportive of this policy. However, consideration of the albedo effect of new development should be given in para 4.17. Albedo is the measure of a surface’s reflectivity, representing the fraction of sunlight it reflects back into space. High albedo surfaces reflect most sunlight, while low albedo surfaces absorb more. This has an impact on climate, microclimate and building comfort and can be mitigated through building design.

Comment

Representation ID: 210915

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

We are broadly supportive of this policy and note that proposed policy wording in Parts A and B aligns well with supporting text of adopted Policy S&GS 7: Mitigating and adapting to climate change through building design.

Comment

Representation ID: 210916

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

Policy CC/WE clause 2 – we have two comments: (a) it is unclear whether this clause applies to householder applications and we believe that it should, and (b) we see no reason why clause 2e should not also apply water efficiency standards to refurbishment and change of use of existing buildings, rather than merely requiring retrofitting to “increase water efficiency”.

Comment

Representation ID: 210917

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

We have significant concerns about the deliverability of this policy. The plan is is undermined by the government's decision to not fund relocation of the CWWTP, and a delay announced in Jan 2026 to the Regulator’s key decision on the Fens Reservoir Project because it is not yet ready for its next major approval stage due to unresolved concerns about where the water will come from to fill the reservoir, design issues and environmental protection requirements.

Comment

Representation ID: 210918

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

There was an opportunity before publishing the draft Local Plan to address points 1 and 2 in the text, but this was not taken up. Instead, the draft Local Plan ploughs on regardless, even though it clearly acknowledges in para 2.82 of p74 that delivery and phasing will need to respond to the availability of water supply improvements. If Policy CC/IW and the wider strategic issues relating to water scarcity and management cannot be delivered in a timely manner, the Plan will not be able to supply even a fraction of the new jobs and new homes demanded of our region, and certainly not in the desired strategic locations. Instead, growth will occur piecemeal across the region – negatively impacting our existing communities, infrastructure, Green Belt and green spaces – and rely predominantly on short-term water efficiency measures. This is an utterly unsustainable strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 210919

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

Policy CC/IW clause 4 – this clause is predicated on the assumption that SuDS are suitable for all locations, but they are not. To pass examination, wording of Policy S&GS 7: Mitigating and adapting to climate change through building design had to be amended to require their use wherever practicable and subject to being suitable to the location

Comment

Representation ID: 210920

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Great Shelford Parish Council

P441 Policy CC/RE clause 7 – we suggest that clause 7 (community-led renewable and low-carbon initiatives) is clarified such that initiatives will be supported as long as they protect or enhance landscape character in line with other policies in the Development Plan. See Policy S&GS 8: Renewable energy schemes in Stapleford and Great Shelford for guidance.