Greater Cambridge Local Plan: Proposed Submission

Under paragraph 10.74, we suggest adding:
The Greater Cambridge Development Corporation’s core functions include providing or facilitating the provision of infrastructure and it will play an important convening and co-ordination role in infrastructure delivery.

GCDC has included a minor comment to improve this policy. GCDC is the organisation now established with a formal regeneration role and have proposed wording to clarify the role that we might play in infrastructure delivery.

Under paragraph 10.74, we suggest adding:
The Greater Cambridge Development Corporation’s core functions include providing or facilitating the provision of infrastructure and it will play an important convening and co-ordination role in infrastructure delivery.

GCDC supports this policy.
• The infrastructure first, vision led approach to transport is supported, given transport constraints remain one of the key limitations on growth. The government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ set the Development Corporation an objective of achieving ‘infrastructure-led development’, to ‘’coordinate and advance the delivery of a radical upgrade to infrastructure in Greater Cambridge, removing systemic barriers to growth and setting new benchmarks for connectivity and sustainability.’’ This will also involve working ‘‘with stakeholders and local partners, including utility companies, to identify infrastructure solutions for the region so that planning for future demand is aligned with forecasts for growth’’.
• Officials in GCDC are collaborating with officers in GCSP, CPCA and Cambridgeshire County Council to produce the Greater Cambridge Transport Strategy (GCTS), a ‘sub-strategy’ to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, which will help to support the Plan’s ambitions to deliver new development in sustainable locations.
• As noted in our comments to policy S/DS: Development Strategy, GCDC think that the Plan takes a positive, sensible approach to taking advantage of existing and planned-for infrastructure. Schemes such as Cambridge South East Transport (CSET) Phase 1 and Phase 2, the relocation of Waterbeach Station, the Cambourne to Cambridge guided busway, and East West Rail offers significant opportunities to deliver new development in highly sustainable locations. It is right that the Plan seeks to maximise such opportunities and GCDC will continue to collaborate with GCSP and other local partners to ensure that collectively we take advantage of these transformative infrastructure proposals.

GCDC supports this policy

• In the government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’, under the ‘innovative investment' objective, the Development Corporation was set the task of front-loading ‘’infrastructure funding to accelerate delivery of well-planned, sustainable communities that go beyond current and draft local plan ambitions sustainable and climate resilient outcomes, through creating and maintaining large, connected, high-quality green and blue spaces, and long-term stewardship of natural assets’’. Delivering high-quality well-planned new housing will form a core component of this objective. We therefore support GCSP's policy. GCDC would also like to note that as we strengthen our capacity, we will consider how we can integrate the ambition for high-quality design into our own programme of work. GCDC will seek to build-upon the high standards that that the Greater Cambridge Design Review Panel and the Cambridgeshire Quality Panel have set for new development in the area.

GCDC supports this policy.

• The government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ set the Development Corporation an objective of achieving ‘inclusion and opportunity’. As part of this objective, GCDC should ‘’reduce inequality between people and places in Greater Cambridge, maintaining a high rate of affordable housing delivery’’. GCSP’s Plan sets a positive aspiration for affordable housing delivery which GCDC will help to achieve.

GCDC supports this policy.

• Greater Cambridge is home to exceptional employment parks, and we want to see these places become even better places to work. In the government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ under the first objective ‘transformational economic growth’, the Development Corporation was set the task of delivering ‘transformational economic growth’ and noted that this growth should ‘’recognise the importance of high quality placemaking that respects Greater Cambridge’s distinctive character, heritage and natural environment, creating beautiful, well-designed places where people want to live, work, study and visit’’. GCDC will continue to work with GCSP to ensure that Greater Cambridge continues to be an exceptional place to work.

GCDC supports this policy.

• The government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ set the first objective of the Development Corporation as delivering ‘transformational economic growth’, by driving ‘’a step change in the sustainable and inclusive economic development of Greater Cambridge, commensurate with its status as a critical national growth area’’. GCDC will continue to work with GCSP to ensure that employers can find the right location to expand or establish new businesses in the Greater Cambridge area.

GCDC supports this policy.

• In CGC’s representation to the Regulation 18 version of the Plan, CGC commented that ‘’CGC supports the commitment to high-quality, well-designed places and buildings as set out in relevant placemaking polices in the Plan. Well-designed and well-built places are essential components of the good growth which CGC supports’’. GCDC would like to repeat this previous expression of support; well-designed places and buildings are essential components of good growth and therefore GCDC supports the policy.

GCDC supports this policy.

• The government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ noted that ‘’the Development Corporation will unlock investment into social infrastructure and public spaces through a variety of routes’’. GCDC will work with GCSP to achieve our shared ambition for delivering new community, sports, and leisure facilities.

GCDC supports this policy.

In the government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’, under the ‘environment and climate’ objective, the Development Corporation was set the task of delivering ‘’environmentally sustainable and climate resilient outcomes, through creating and maintaining large, connected, high-quality green and blue spaces, and long-term stewardship of natural assets’’. We share GCSP’s ambition to protect and enhance green infrastructure, therefore, GCDC supports the policy.

GCDC supports this policy

The government’s response to the consultation ‘Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge’ noted that: ‘’working with local partners, and relevant bodies, will be crucial to balancing viability and deliverability alongside respecting Greater Cambridge’s unique heritage, natural environment, climate resilience and nature recovery, and this integrated approach will be central to the Development Corporation’s purpose’’. GCDC agrees with GCSP’s assertion that ‘’increasing the use of renewable and other low-carbon energy technologies will be a key means of achieving the emissions reductions targets set by the Government and meeting increased energy demands.’’ GCDC therefore supports the policy.