Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Further development of HQ1 is supported with regard to supporting good health through good design. However to address this, more specific requirements need to be adopted to protect future amenity and mental health of new occupants in this new planning policy. The example of application 25/02157/FUL-33 Church Street and the representations made about this application in terms of future amenity of occupants needs further consideration in this new plan. For example the obscure glazing dominant on the majority of upstairs windows (occupant amenity), poorly designed car parking layout and lack of manoeuvrability for your vehicle, not being able to see your vehicle , not providing enough visitor space, not providing access to emergency vehicles , or delivery vehicles, and over 120m drag distance to enable bins to be emptied on the main street. The development specified Air Source Heat pumps in a confined site surrounded by buildings will impact noise and amenity. These issues create disharmony between residents and occupants and causes neighbour conflict. Its not only existing residents amenity but new occupiers amenity which needs stronger protection in the new plan. Supporting residents mental health needs to be incorporated into design decisions to reduce neighbour conflict and disharmony at the design stage. A stronger policy here will enable planners to defend this better when assessing applications.

Support this policy. Important to add reference here to any relevant adopted Neighbourhood Plan and recent local Housing Needs surveys evidence which also should be used to show the housing needs of the local area , as well as from the Housing Register.

Support this policy. Concern that the 5% element will not transferred to a Registered provider after the 12 month marketing period. Concern that the 'value' of these plots could be inflated or abused. There should not be any option to convert these plots to standard market housing if the plots remain unsold.

Concern that this new scheme will giver developers an 'opt out' of providing 40% affordable housing on new sites.

Support the stance on dwellings in the countryside policy. Concern that this policy is weakened by conversion of mobile home temporary permissions to permanent dwellings in the open countryside. Request consideration of tightening of this policy to reduce incidences of increased permissions in the open countryside.

Support this policy. Further consideration is needed for the need to electrically charge delivery lorries, and refuse trucks- essential to build in electric charging for all new commercial/industrial building applications throughout the district. parking standards should be made clear- policy appears muddled and a tabular form would be clearer. Support the minimum size for garages 3.3m*6m for car and adding 1m for cycles within the garage.

Request the referencing of Large Scale Infrastructure projects which have an impact outside their statutory Planning Authority area- and the need for planning obligations, or infrastructure levy contributions to mitigate the impact in neighbouring authority areas (Greater Cambridge). Concern about proximity to Gamlingay of EW Rail Major infrastructure station planned at Tempsford, Central Bedfordshire and approx. 30,000 new town proposed adjacent.

These contributions should also be referenced in relation to the impact on energy consumption impact within the Greater Cambridge area from large scale neighbouring authority large infrastructure projects (National Infrastructure Projects) at Tempsford/EastWest rail station (30,000 houses and interchange EW rail station)

Support zero carbon new development policy