Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020
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New searchFoxton should retain its Group Village status under the new Local Plan. Any development proposed should be in keeping with the emerging Neighbourhood Plan which places emphasis on the housing needs of affordable starter homes as well as bungalows and houses suitable for village residents to downsize yet remain in Foxton. The indication of 2900 new homes a year needing to be built in the Greater Cambridge area up to 2040 will put great pressure on the existing Green Belt. Foxton Parish Council is keen to see that this vital area is not ‘nibbled away’ at by developers. Clear policies must be set out in the new Local Plan to prevent irreversible damage along with ensuring that local residents’ views are sought and considered. The ‘necklace’ of villages around Cambridge city could be in danger of considerable change if strong developmental and design policies are not created. Foxton, having a railway station, could be targeted by developers, especially if the current Local Plan 5 year housing buffer fails. The whole character of the village would change if developmental protection is not fully considered and implemented in the new plan. A suggestion for increasing the green spaces provision in Foxton, so lacking in South Cambridgeshire, has been submitted separately. Any plans for housing growth must align with the aims of the Greater Cambridge zero carbon targets by 2050. New development and design policies should closely reflect this along with ensuring that measures are put in place to ensure developers abide by the rules. To this end it is vital that Greater Cambridge planning department is robust and fit for purpose with a full strength of planning officers and systems in place to ensure planning applications are dealt with in a speedy yet democratic manner. Ever closer discussions with Foxton residents and parish councillors will be needed on all planning issues. Transport infrastructure must also align with the ‘green’ policies of Greater Cambridge planners. Foxton has the issue of ever increasing levels of traffic on the A10 plus the level crossing problems. The traffic, pollution, delay and parking have knock on effects into Foxton village and these need to be factored into a much larger plan to encourage less use of cars for the whole area. A Foxton station ‘car park’ as currently proposed by GCP only looks at the issue in isolation. A network of inter connecting local village cycle ways (to Thriplow, Fowlmere and Newton for example) is just one possible view of the bigger transport picture. Other infrastructure issues which need to considered alongside housing development, are increased doctors’ surgery provision, water consumption, sewage and power. Foxton already has issues from Anglian Water having to regularly pump waste water away by road tanker from the water treatment stations in the village and on the A10. It begs the question –is the system fit for current purpose, never mind future local housing needs? Foxton would welcome some new employment opportunities in the village, but again these must conform to the emerging Neighbourhood Plan policies and residents must be fully consulted. Finally we would request that one of the ‘pop up roadshows’ comes to this area. There has been no provision in the whole locality for the A10 villages including Foxton, Fowlmere, and Melbourn. Even Bassingbourn has been left out.
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Summary of Comments: 1. Retention of Group Village status 2. Concern for green belt erosion 3. South Cambs village settlement pattern 4. Foxton railway station issues for development 5. Recognition for gradual growth along with transport infrastructure needs 6. Foxton employment needs
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Arable production
Not Specified
None
Greenfield, with very small part brownfield (barn and surrounding hard surface) closest to the High Street vehicular access.
Wildlife opportunity site - It is included in the submission Foxton Neighbourhood Plan as a potential future biodiversity enhancement area. This plan was sent to SCDC in 2/20 Country Park - Consideration may be made of its potential as a small local country park, but the prime focus is on biodiversity and landscape enhancement Informal Parkland & amenity space - Foxton PC has been given S106 money to extend the Recreation Ground in the NE corner of the site should the land become available Growing space (including allotments, community garden and orchard) - Adjoins the village allotments so scope for a small community orchard in that corner Natural & Semi Natural Open Space - Plan would be to create chalk grassland as chalk very close to surface, reinstate a hedgerow that used to line the public footpath, and allow informal public access. Woodland - Adjoins publicly accessible community woodland, owned by Cambs CC and managed in partnership with the Friends of Foxton Woods. Thin strip of mature non-publicly accessible CCC-owned woodland on west edge of West Hill wood. Description - There is no detailed masterplan for the site at this stage as we know the landowner has submitted the same land for development in the ‘call for sites’. Cambs CC objected to aspects of the draft Neighbourhood Plan (NP) that included this landscape (sensitive urban edge, strategic views etc). However the idea for a change of land use came through the community consultation for the NP, and the Landscape Character Assessment prepared as evidence to inform the NP. The site adjoins the community woodland, and is easily accessible from the public footpath. We envisage converting the land use from arable to permanent chalk grassland, with a wide variety of chalkland flora and fauna, and maintaining it as such (methods to be determined). The locality is known for an exceptionally high breeding population of nationally declining (red listed) corn bunting and supports all key Cambridgeshire-farmland assemblage species with the addition of two Specially protected annual breeding species ( under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) within 100 metres of the site. The chalk grassland and its associated invertebrate population would provide additional foraging, cover and long term viability for such species.
Whole/partly depending on ecological factors
Yes potentially. The landowners have submitted all/part of the land for development through the Local Plan call for sites. It is however outside the village development location proposal: framework and does not fit with Group Village status for development. There is a large barn and hard surfacing close to the High Street access point, and this small part of the site could offer potential for appropriate zero carbon, high standard development to fit the policies of the Submission Neighbourhood Plan (e.g. day care centre). Most of the remaining land is sloping. The site has potential to be a biodiversity net gain site in line with the 2019 Environment Bill and the council’s commitment to Biodiversity net gain. Biodiversity offsetting will be required by the council in order to deliver such policies and compensate for the loss of farmland assemblages to development. Such offsetting should focus on connectivity and expansion of the most viable and diverse farmland communities such as that found in Foxton.
Community facility e.g. day care centre. Cambridgeshire County Council has submitted all/part of the land in the Local Plan call for sites. Details not known. Foxton and surrounding parishes are deficient in accessible natural green space (ANGS), of all sizes/standards, as identified by Natural England’s ANGST report in 2010/11. See www.foxtonparishcouncil.gov.uk for relevant extracts from this report. This was part of the supporting evidence for the NP along with the Foxton Landscape Character Assessment 2017 (also on PC website). Foxton PC has also been allocated S106 money to extend the Recreation Ground abutting the land. Qualitative feedback from the several NP community consultations expressed interest in improving the biodiversity of the parish. The community is already actively managing the dovecot meadow (leased from CCC) and the community woodland (owned by CCC). At present people walking the footpath cannot access this land but if converted to chalk grassland it offers scope for greater public access to get close to nature, with its known physical and mental health benefits. The only other accessible natural greenspace in Foxton is the small dovecot meadow. Access with be careful to be balanced to minimise potential impacts upon biodiversity The site should be considered as an ideal pioneer location for biodiversity offsetting which will be required to deliver the Biodiversity Net Gain development policy. This is on account of the exceptional assemblage of farmland species in the neighbouring fields. Most notable is a breeding ratio of corn buntings (red list) of at least 10 per km2 , where most sites are in the region of 4 per km2 . In winters where there are fallow fields flocks of 300 + corn buntings are recorded. The area also supports breeding yellow wagtail, yellowhammer, linnet, skylark, and a large population of grey partridge with coveys of 25 + regular in winter, Tree sparrow has wintered for 3 of the last 4 winters here and may breed with the presence of additional foraging resources. Flocks of Golden Plover are regular in winter in the neighbouring fields. Two specially protected Schedule 1 bird species (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) breed annually within 100 metres of the area and brown hare is frequent. Creation of a meadow would provide valuable foraging habitat to strengthen the farmland assemblage and increase diversity and connectivity with community woodland. Development across South Cambridgeshire will have the greatest strengthen the farmland assemblage and increase diversity and connectivity with community woodland. Development across South Cambridgeshire will have the greatest impact upon such farmland assemblages and the council will need to develop biodiversity offset sites which should concentrate on the key, viable populations, and this land offers that opportunity with community surveys providing data to demonstrate the high value. The meadow would also strengthen green corridors which could be extended in time to form a link with RSPB Fowlmere SSSI, and the Countryside Stewardship supported wildflower margins and hedgerows on nearby Thriplow farm. The meadow would increase the density and viability of the unique farmland assemblage within the parish.(Unique on account of its present density). Conversely, development for housing here would greatly diminish said assemblage and lead to the loss of 2 specially protected breeding birds ( not named as confidential) specially protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The presence of this assemblage and key species would require significant offsetting in the development process and bring into question viability of any such process
No answer given
Off High Street Foxton through metal field gate, and in theory from southern end of Caxton Lane along public footpath but currently blocked off to prevent hare coursers
As stated above, the slope should not constrain creation of chalk grassland which is often on sloping downland.
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There is a gas pipeline which crosses the adjacent woods so assume it is also under the fields
No answer given
Cambs CC own the site, but the tenant has recently died and the county council has advertised the tenancy with a start date of October 2020. Foxton PC has recently approached Cambs CC to request a short permissive access path across the land to the woods from the other side of the village, but they turned down the request pending the outcome of their call for sites for development bid. As the dovecot meadow is on a 25 year lease from CCC, the parish council would be seeking a mechanism to manage the land as accessible natural greenspace.
Tenancy up for renewal so ideal time to consider a change of land management/use, particularly with the anticipated new Government Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) and the Biodiversity Net Gain opportunity
Not possible to predict
No answer given
several years to gradually establish species rich chalk grassland sward, although it will immediately be of value for the bird assemblage. Maximising the diversity of the sward will require a long term and adaptive management which the community will lead upon
Biodiversity net gain Community Land Trust as a potential delivery and long-term management option. We would use local expertise (ecologist and landscape architect) to advise on precise methodology of establishing chalk grassland and ongoing management. May take some years to reduce fertility of soil as been used for arable cropping.
Foxton PC would wish to work in partnership with landowners, Wildlife Trust, RSPB and other relevant organisations to achieve multiple gains.
No information as of yet.
Creation of a stale seedbed, followed by wildflower seeding. Annual cut and lift regime to reduce fertility of soil, as has been done by volunteers since 2004 in the dovecot wildflower meadow. Local expertise within the parish to develop as a community project,
Developer Contributions - Potential if designated as a biodiversity net gain site. Would be ideal offsetting site to ensure county viability of key Cambridgeshire farmland bird assemblage, and botanical and invertebrate community; Grant Funding - Yes, including new ELMS grants from Government (no information yet available but priority to be environment and public good); Other - Possibly Answer - It is too early to be specific. Details of the new ELMS grant support packages are not yet known. See Biodiversity Net Gain as a key opportunity to explore and there may be other grant packages available for specific aspects of the proposed project.
Evidence might include: • Habitats and / or species site designations - None • Biodiversity survey of the existing site - Recent ecological survey of adjacent woodland • Evidence of how the proposal connects with the wider green spaces network – would establish link to Recreation Ground and village allotments. Adjacent to community woodland and public footpath. Ideally would like to see it linked to wider Green Infrastructure Network, but surrounded by fertile agricultural land, some under Countryside Stewardship. Scope to re-establish and strengthen arable hedgerows as wildlife corridors • Evidence of any benefits provided by the green space proposal – local ecological knowledge on breeding birds; visual landscape benefits fitting landscape character, biodiversity gain, human health through access to nature • Evidence of costs and delivery mechanisms – none available yet • Evidence of support for your proposal from third parties – community consultations for Neighbourhood Plan. Others would be sought
Key issue is gaining support from Cambridgeshire CC County Farms, pending their development bid under call for sites and their requirement to maximize income from the land.
