Greater Cambridge Local Plan: Proposed Submission

We argue that – rather than a fixed categorisation and rigid limitation of development, communities such as ours in Great Wilbraham should be properly consulted on the development that would be necessary to allow our own community to thrive.

The Settlement Hierarchy makes judgements on sustainability but treats all 33 Group villages as a homogeneous category despite major differences in population, formal infrastructure, housing needs, land constraints, demographic circumstances. It fails to recognise the community capacity – voluntary organisations, clubs, local institutions such as those in Great Wilbraham (GW) - that support the social structure and sustainability. These are threatened by static ageing population, falling school roles, and limited pool of volunteers. In GW, with our small population of 606, we suggest that the inflexible 8-dwelling limit should be raised (eg50) to maintain and improve sustainability and community capacity.

The Local Plan should include less onerous mechanisms than the Neighbourhood Plan process to develop small groups of houses outside the Defined Development Extent and within the Green Belt. This should be by providing an opportunity for direct consultation with individual villages.

Great Wilbraham (GW) Parish Council objects to the DE policy and Green Belt, which constrain building opportunities for a Group Village even though the SH might allow 8 dwellings. In GW no sites are available within the DE and Green Belt. The DE policy thus renders the Local Plan ineffective by denying Group Villages the small developments that might support sustainability. Although provision is made for exceptions through the Neighbourhood Plan, this is disproportionate for small villages that lack volunteer time, professional and financial resources.