Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 208185

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We strongly support the healthy place‑making approach and the requirement for new development to provide access to healthy food through allotments and community growing spaces.

Comment

Representation ID: 208186

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We welcome the policy intent to manage the local food environment, including controls on hot‑food takeaways and fast‑food outlets to protect children’s health.

Comment

Representation ID: 208187

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We endorse the proposed standard of 0.4 ha of food‑growing/allotment space per 1,000 people within open‑space requirements.

Comment

Representation ID: 208188

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We commend the inclusion of circular‑economy principles that enable operational waste management and composting for new developments.

Comment

Representation ID: 208189

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We support the protection of the best and most versatile agricultural land (Grades 1‑3a) as outlined in the draft plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 208190

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

Add an explicit “Sustainable Food” theme that treats food as essential infrastructure. Food sits at the intersection of Health and inequalities, Climate change, Biodiversity/ green infrastructure, Jobs, Infrastructure. Without a dedicated category, the Plan risks missing the opportunity to plan food as a connected system. We recommend the Plan explicitly frames a “sustainable food system that would strengthen delivery and reduce the risk that “food” becomes limited to allotments and takeaways alone.

Comment

Representation ID: 208191

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

The Plan already recognises “healthy eating” and the importance of access to healthy food. We recommend tightening delivery by requiring food access as part of Health Impact Assessments: Where HIAs are required, include a simple “food environment” assessment: walkable access to affordable healthy food; quality of the local food offer; and measures to avoid concentrating unhealthy uses. (This builds directly on the Plan’s approach to health and takeaways. )

Comment

Representation ID: 208192

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

Space for community food assets in new neighbourhoods: Support delivery of community-scale assets that make healthy food practical and affordable: neighbourhood food hubs, community kitchens, food co-ops/social supermarkets, and periodic markets (especially in larger allocations and growth areas). This aligns with the Plan’s stated intent to enable access to local services and support social enterprise.

Comment

Representation ID: 208193

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

The circular economy policy already supports operational waste management and composting. We recommend making food waste and surplus redistribution more explicit, by requiring (particularly in major schemes and mixed-use centres):
● separate, convenient food waste storage for homes and food businesses (designed for easy collection)
● design that enables community composting where appropriate
● practical space that can support surplus food redistribution in neighbourhood hubs (small “last mile” storage/handling space can be transformational).

Comment

Representation ID: 208194

Received: 29/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Sustainable Food

We recommend adding positive support for urban/ peri-urban food production and local supply chains, including:
● supporting appropriate farm diversification that strengthens local food supply (e.g., small-scale processing, storage, distribution, farm shops and community-supported agriculture models), where impacts are well managed
● identifying opportunities for community food growing at scale (where suitable) as part of resilience planning
● ensuring employment and rural diversification approaches recognise food as a strategic sector, not just “countryside uses.”