Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

These are three separate and often conflicting objectives. In each situation, prioritise the objectives and go with it.

Employ expert architects with a good track record. Do not accept standard designs from quantity housebuilders.

Nothing chosen

The assumption of continued economic growth has to change in the light of climate change. Changes to the economic situation should be one of the factors taken into consideration but assumed growth should not form the key driver for development. Investment in knowledge clusters and technologies that support and reduce the impact on climate change should be given priority. We need to be planning for a rapidly changing economic climate post Brexit and in the age of the always connected Internet of Things. We should not be planning for the jobs of today. The future will have much more teleworking and automation will bring further radical changes to how, where and when economic activity takes place.

Within the context of 24: • Small to medium office and manufacturing/engineering/laboratory units. • Serviced and un-serviced offices. • Mix suitable employment space with housing more organically to encourage local working.

Yes.

Knowledge-based and bio-medical industries and will need other services and industries to support them and to turn their discoveries into services and products. Therefore provision of a range of size and type of units and facilities for pilot plants as well as future production facilities may be a consideration if economic change includes more localisation again.

The existing Science Parks are clearly important sites and for medical science the area around Addenbrookes is important. The Genome campus, Granta Park and just across the border with Essex, Chesterford Park are all important. Melbourne Science Park, although in Herts must also be considered. Redevelopment of the Barrington cement works is an opportunity for heavier industrial units. One has to ask, is it really a good idea to lose the specialist engineering employment opportunities which Cambridge Airport and Marshalls currently provides.

Nothing chosen

Less flexible in Cambridge City, whose character has already been severely damaged by too many large office and hotel slabs, especially around the station. More flexible about employment space in town and large village centres whilst protecting the character and heritage of each village. Also ensure that essential services such as surgeries, schools and shops are protected and enhanced as growth occurs.

Tourism is a market-led activity. Cambridge city is swamped but there are many places of interest elsewhere in the county which could be better promoted. Peterborough, Stilton, Ely and Wisbech come to mind and there are many more. Attention needs to be given to retaining and providing facilities for tourists and not removing them as Ely has by building on its main coach park.

It should take a need-led approach and apply modern modelling techniques to forecast the resulting demand. The skills are available in the City and its two universities. The current conflation of ‘need’ with ‘demand’ is causing a situation where numbers matter more than type and tenure of housing. See CPRE’s study at: https://www.cpre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/HousingZForesightZPaperZ8.pdf There has to be a better approach than the ‘5-year housing supply’ currently imposed by the NPPF.