Greater Cambridge Local Plan: Proposed Submission

Modification Requested
Add a new requirement 1a, viii. as follows;
“1a, viii. Provision of financial contributions to increase the capacity of local fire & rescue facilities”
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing/ population growth, and in the case of CFRS, also from strategic commercial development.
To be ‘Justified’ in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) terms the draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities and places of work.
The NPPF also requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
In order to be ‘Sound’ the modification outlined above is required.

Local Plan 2024-2045 - Modifications Sought to Text & Policy *
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing and population growth.
The draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities.
CFRS has undertaken a comprehensive level of stakeholder engagement in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, Area Action Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) processes to date.
It submitted evidence-based representations to the Local Plan Regulation 18 stage in January 2026, the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – Infrastructure Delivery Plan in April 2025, the Local Plan IDP stakeholder consultation stages in August 2025, January 2026 and June 2026, and the Greater Cambridge Planning Obligations SPD in January 2025 and April 2025.
The draft local plan is considered to be Unsound as its omission to fully recognise CFRS (and its Blue Light Partners) as essential social infrastructure providers requiring developer funded mitigation, in the form of additional fire & rescue infrastructure/ facilities provision, is Not Justified in National Planning Policy Framework terms – which requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
CFRS is operating at capacity, and the planned housing (48,069 homes) and 124,979 population growth (population increase based on a combined average household size of 2.6 ONS 2024) and strategic scale commercial development, would lead to a substantial impact on the CFRS estate, vehicle fleet and staff operational assets and resources.
The Modifications sought are made within this context below.

Modification Requested
Under ‘Uses’ add a new section 7a. (subsequent sections to be renumbered) as follows;
“7a. Provision of financial contributions to increase the capacity of local fire & rescue facilities”
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing/ population growth, and in the case of CFRS, also from strategic commercial development.
To be ‘Justified’ in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) terms the draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities and places of work.
The NPPF also requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
In order to be ‘Sound’ the modification outlined above is required.

Local Plan 2024-2045 - Modifications Sought to Text & Policy *
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing and population growth.
The draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities.
CFRS has undertaken a comprehensive level of stakeholder engagement in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, Area Action Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) processes to date.
It submitted evidence-based representations to the Local Plan Regulation 18 stage in January 2026, the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – Infrastructure Delivery Plan in April 2025, the Local Plan IDP stakeholder consultation stages in August 2025, January 2026 and June 2026, and the Greater Cambridge Planning Obligations SPD in January 2025 and April 2025.
The draft local plan is considered to be Unsound as its omission to fully recognise CFRS (and its Blue Light Partners) as essential social infrastructure providers requiring developer funded mitigation, in the form of additional fire & rescue infrastructure/ facilities provision, is Not Justified in National Planning Policy Framework terms – which requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
CFRS is operating at capacity, and the planned housing (48,069 homes) and 124,979 population growth (population increase based on a combined average household size of 2.6 ONS 2024) and strategic scale commercial development, would lead to a substantial impact on the CFRS estate, vehicle fleet and staff operational assets and resources.
The Modifications sought are made within this context below.

Modification Requested
Under ‘1 Development proposals must demonstrate how they meet the following requirements’ add a new criterion 1.i,vi as follows;
“7a. Provision of financial contributions to increase the capacity of local fire & rescue facilities”
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing/ population growth, and in the case of CFRS, also from strategic commercial development.
To be ‘Justified’ in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) terms the draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities and places of work.
The NPPF also requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
In order to be ‘Sound’ the modification outlined above is required.

Local Plan 2024-2045 - Modifications Sought to Text & Policy *
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing and population growth.
The draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities.
CFRS has undertaken a comprehensive level of stakeholder engagement in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, Area Action Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) processes to date.
It submitted evidence-based representations to the Local Plan Regulation 18 stage in January 2026, the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – Infrastructure Delivery Plan in April 2025, the Local Plan IDP stakeholder consultation stages in August 2025, January 2026 and June 2026, and the Greater Cambridge Planning Obligations SPD in January 2025 and April 2025.
The draft local plan is considered to be Unsound as its omission to fully recognise CFRS (and its Blue Light Partners) as essential social infrastructure providers requiring developer funded mitigation, in the form of additional fire & rescue infrastructure/ facilities provision, is Not Justified in National Planning Policy Framework terms – which requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
CFRS is operating at capacity, and the planned housing (48,069 homes) and 124,979 population growth (population increase based on a combined average household size of 2.6 ONS 2024) and strategic scale commercial development, would lead to a substantial impact on the CFRS estate, vehicle fleet and staff operational assets and resources.
The Modifications sought are made within this context below.

Modification Requested
In the strategic priority after ‘education’ insert “police, fire & rescue, ambulance”
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing/ population growth, and in the case of CFRS, also from strategic commercial development.
To be ‘Justified’ in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) terms the draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities and places of work.
The NPPF also requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
In order to be ‘Sound’ the modification outlined above is required.

Local Plan 2024-2045 - Modifications Sought to Text & Policy *
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing and population growth.
The draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities.
CFRS has undertaken a comprehensive level of stakeholder engagement in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, Area Action Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) processes to date.
It submitted evidence-based representations to the Local Plan Regulation 18 stage in January 2026, the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – Infrastructure Delivery Plan in April 2025, the Local Plan IDP stakeholder consultation stages in August 2025, January 2026 and June 2026, and the Greater Cambridge Planning Obligations SPD in January 2025 and April 2025.
The draft local plan is considered to be Unsound as its omission to fully recognise CFRS (and its Blue Light Partners) as essential social infrastructure providers requiring developer funded mitigation, in the form of additional fire & rescue infrastructure/ facilities provision, is Not Justified in National Planning Policy Framework terms – which requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
CFRS is operating at capacity, and the planned housing (48,069 homes) and 124,979 population growth (population increase based on a combined average household size of 2.6 ONS 2024) and strategic scale commercial development, would lead to a substantial impact on the CFRS estate, vehicle fleet and staff operational assets and resources.
The Modifications sought are made within this context below.

Modification Requested
The modifications relate to the rectification of omissions & additional information required to be incorporated into the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and related Infrastructure Delivery Schedule
These are set out in full within the CFRS Schedule of Infrastructure Delivery Plan based representations.
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing/ population growth, and in the case of CFRS, also from strategic commercial development.
To be ‘Justified’ in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) terms the draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities and places of work.
The NPPF also requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and related Infrastructure Delivery Schedule, should therefore be updated to reflect the CFRS evidence
In order to be ‘Sound’ the modifications outlined above (and within the IDP representation schedule) are required.

Local Plan 2024-2045 - Modifications Sought to Text & Policy *
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and its Blue Light Partners (Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are Essential Social Infrastructure Providers, who require developer funded Infrastructure/ facilities to mitigate and manage the impacts arising on service capacity from planned housing and population growth.
The draft Local Plan should therefore attribute appropriate recognition and a higher profile to the important role played by these bodies - in contributing to the creation of safe, cohesive, strong, healthy, vibrant and resilient new communities.
CFRS has undertaken a comprehensive level of stakeholder engagement in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, Area Action Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) processes to date.
It submitted evidence-based representations to the Local Plan Regulation 18 stage in January 2026, the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – Infrastructure Delivery Plan in April 2025, the Local Plan IDP stakeholder consultation stages in August 2025, January 2026 and June 2026, and the Greater Cambridge Planning Obligations SPD in January 2025 and April 2025.
The draft local plan is considered to be Unsound as its omission to fully recognise CFRS (and its Blue Light Partners) as essential social infrastructure providers requiring developer funded mitigation, in the form of additional fire & rescue infrastructure/ facilities provision, is Not Justified in National Planning Policy Framework terms – which requires Plans to set out the contributions expected from development.
CFRS is operating at capacity, and the planned housing (48,069 homes) and 124,979 population growth (population increase based on a combined average household size of 2.6 ONS 2024) and strategic scale commercial development, would lead to a substantial impact on the CFRS estate, vehicle fleet and staff operational assets and resources.
The Modifications sought are made within this context below.