Greater Cambridge Local Plan: Proposed Submission

Comment

Representation ID: 212614

Received: 23/09/2026

Respondent: Mac Mic Land

Agent: Planning Potential

As part of the new Policies Map, the Strategic Enhancement Area (SEA) now extends across the entirety of the promoted Papworth South site (Site 208867). Whilst MMSL supports the principle of maintaining visual and physical separation between Cambourne North and Papworth Everard, the extent of the SEA goes beyond what is necessary to achieve this objective. By encompassing the entirety of the promoted site, the designation effectively precludes the delivery of development at Papworth South, notwithstanding the ability to provide both substantial landscape buffers and a meaningful strategic gap between the two settlements.
The Council has not demonstrated why it is necessary for the SEA to encompass all of Site 208867 in order to achieve its stated objectives of maintaining separation, providing landscape enhancement and accommodating active travel and highways connections where appropriate. In particular, if the primary purpose of the SEA is to prevent coalescence and maintain an appropriate degree of separation between settlements, this does not require the wholesale sterilisation of the site. A narrower strategic landscape area could achieve the same objectives whilst allowing an appropriate proportion of the site to accommodate development.
The current extent of the SEA therefore represents a disproportionate constraint on the ability of Site 208867 to contribute to housing delivery and infrastructure provision. The Council has not provided robust evidence to demonstrate that the entirety of the site is required to perform the SEA function, and the extent of the designation is consequently not considered justified.
MMSL therefore supports the principle of retaining an appropriate Strategic Enhancement Area but considers that its extent should be reviewed and reduced. This would maintain the necessary visual and physical separation between Cambourne North and Papworth Everard whilst avoiding the unnecessary sterilisation of land that could otherwise provide a sustainable and proportionate development opportunity capable of supporting the wider objectives of Cambourne North whilst maintaining an appropriate strategic degree of separation between settlements.

Object

Representation ID: 212973

Received: 23/09/2026

Respondent: Mac Mic Land

Agent: Planning Potential

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

This representation relates to a site submission (HELAA ref 48096 Land at Crow's Nest Farm Papworth Everard)

Supportive of the general strategy but feels that some smaller sites could be allocated to support the more complex strategic sites. The proposed development would therefore complement, rather than compete with, the emerging strategy for Cambourne North. An
appropriately defined allocation at Papworth South could contribute to housing delivery within the plan period and support infrastructure investment, while retaining an appropriate strategic gap between Papworth Everard and Cambourne North. The extensive work undertaken through the PPA process, together with ongoing engagement with the Council, East West Rail, the
Highway Authority and other stakeholders, has demonstrated that Papworth South can evolve positively alongside the emerging Cambourne North proposals. The site at Land at Crow's Nest Farm Papworth Everard should be allocated as an additional housing sites within the Plan. Additional evidence has been created to address issues identified in the HELAA and to support ongoing evidence to support a planning application.