Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation
Search representations
Results for CALA Group Ltd search
New searchComment
Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation
Policy BG/BG: Biodiversity and geodiversity
Representation ID: 211418
Received: 28/01/2026
Respondent: CALA Group Ltd
Agent: Lanpro Services
Paragraph 006 of the Planning Practice Guidance (Reference ID: 74-006-20240214) states:
“Plan-makers should not seek a higher percentage than the statutory objection of 10% biodiversity net gain, either on an area-wide basis or for specific allocations for development unless justified.”
Paragraph 2 of Policy N1 of the draft NPPF, 2025 goes further, stating that:
“Development plans should only set local standards for biodiversity net gain which are in excess of the statutory net gain requirement where this is for specific site allocations and is fully justified and deliverable.”
Therefore, our client requests that the paragraph referring to a minimum of 20% biodiversity net gain being provided on major development in Greater Cambridge should be removed to be in line with the Government’s Planning Practice Guidance.
Reduce base BNG to 10% in line with statutory BNG requirements.
This draft policy sets out the proposed housing growth for the Councils across the emerging Plan Period. It seeks to provide a minimum of 48,195 new homes of all mixes and tenures.
The Government’s updated standard methodology for Greater Cambridge is 2,309 dwellings per annum (1,135 in Cambridge City and 1,174 in South Cambridgeshire).
It is noted that the number of dwellings per annum being provided by Greater Cambridge is 2,295, which is slightly fewer than the standard method. However, the draft Local Plan acknowledge that the total supply set out in Table 4 is 55,278 dwellings, which is from the current supply and new sites, including North East Cambridge. Therefore, the total number of dwellings that the Councils calculate will be provided across the emerging Plan Period is greater than the standard method, which our client supports.
However, it is considered that there may be potential for additional growth across Greater Cambridge. Both the previous and the current Governments recognised the potential of Cambridge to support national growth. The Government has set up the Cambridge Growth Company whose job is to work with local stakeholders to deliver “high quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs .” Significant funding has been provided to the Cambridge Growth Company to enable and shape this growth.
The potential for additional growth to support the ambitions of the Cambridge Growth Company and by extension, the Government, should be incorporated into the draft Local Plan as a material consideration.
Development of the site at Valley Farm, Meldreth would support both the existing growth set out in the emerging Local Plan and any additional growth that is identified by the Cambridge Growth Company.
