Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

7.11 There should be more flexibility within the Local Plan to consider growing villages such as Harston, given its access to nearby services, facilities and transport links, which combine to make Harston a sustainable location for new development. Land to the south of Station Road is a sustainable location and opportunities to grow village such as Harston by allocating residential sites are considered to be part of an appropriate spatial strategy for the district. 7.12 The principle of spreading some growth (new homes and jobs) out to the villages is supported. The NPPF advises, at paragraph 78, that to promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities. It adds that planning policies should identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services. Where there are groups of smaller settlements, development in one village may support services in a village nearby. 7.13 The ability of new development to support rural communities is especially important given the loss of rural services experienced in recent years. The impact of these service loses on rural communities is accentuated when considering pre-existing low service levels compared to better served, urban areas. The ‘Dispersal: Villages’ option therefore presents an opportunity for sustainability enhancements within rural communities. 7.14 The approach of directing some growth to the villages should also take account of existing and proposed public transport improvements. With reference to Harston, whilst it is a relatively small village, it benefits from being within the A10 corridor, plus close proximity to further facilities and services available in nearby villages.

7.15 Development is best suited to being located along transport corridors to promote sustainable development and transport issues should be considered from the earliest in accordance with Para. 102 of the NPPF. 7.16 Jesus College support the principle of siting development along transport corridors, in accordance with Para. 103 of the NPPF which encourages development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable, through limiting the need to travel and offering a genuine choice of transport modes. 7.17 Harston is located on the A10 strategic transport corridor, along which numerous transport improvements to deliver a high-quality public transport corridor is proposed which will benefit connectivity to Harston by sustainable and active modes of transport. These improvements include the following: ● The A10 is part of the strategic cycle network between Royston and Cambridge; ● Improved transport hub at Foxton train station (3km from the site); ● Proposed improved transport interchange at Trumpington A10/M11 junction (3.2 km from the site); ● Park and Ride site at Hauxton (M11); ● Off road cycle links along the A10; and ● Walking and cycling links to Melbourn and Bassingbourn village colleges. 7.18 In addition to the above, Harston falls within the ‘Preferred route option’ area of the proposed East-West rail alignment which would deliver faster and improved frequency of trains to Cambridge and in turn to London. 7.19 The proposed improvements to the A10 transport corridor support the case for allocating residential development on Land off Station Road, Harston, by demonstrating the sustainable nature of the village.

‘Important Countryside Frontage’ (Policy NH/13) South Cambridgeshire Local Plan (2018) 8.1 The boundary of Land off Station Road is noted as important countryside frontage in the adopted Local Plan under Policy NH/13. There is however a two-metre-tall evergreen hedge along its length that prevents visual access to the countryside. Policy NH/13 restricts planning permissions for development if it would compromise the underlying purposes of the Policy which are to provide a rural break between detached parts of a development framework. 8.2 Residential development on Land to the south of Station Road could be brought forward without compromising the purpose of this Policy. Notwithstanding this, it is proposed that a review of the Policy NH/13 (Important Countryside Frontages) should be undertaken as part of the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan to assess whether land currently subject to the designation still serves the purpose of Important Countryside Frontages.

We are writing on behalf of Jesus College in response to the Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues and Options consultation currently being held as the first stage of consultation for the development of the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. We write in relation to the land that Jesus College owns on the southern side of Cambridge. A plan of the site, which is known as ‘Cambridge South’, is provided at Appendix 1. We set out our detailed responses to the consultation questions posed by the ‘First Conversation’ document in Appendix 2 and provide context for our representations with regard to Cambridge South below. The submission is accompanied by an ‘Overview’ document prepared by Hawkins\Brown, which provides additional detail on the development potential of the site. We have not sought to answer every question posed by the First Consultation document but have attempted to cover the different themes. Where appropriate, we have referred to the Cambridge South site to provide context to our response and to demonstrate how the Councils’ aspirations can be practically delivered. Response summary The ‘First Conversation’ on the new Local Plan for Greater Cambridge sets out a positive and aspirational vision that we are very pleased to endorse. With both Councils having declared a climate emergency in 2019, we strongly support the decision to put the issue of climate change at the heart of the new local plan, alongside a positive vision for better places, a net zero carbon economy, social inclusion and improved wellbeing, and the creation of new and improved green spaces. The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service (‘GCSPS’) has an exciting opportunity to deliver growth in an innovative way over the next 20 years and beyond and we support its ambition to capture this in a new local plan. Successfully achieving this vision for change is likely to require planning on a large scale. In order to meet such ambitious targets and to deliver the right types of homes, jobs and infrastructure, we support the GCSPS’ consideration of a range of locations for growth. Given the size of the Greater Cambridge area and the complexity of the issues faced in some areas, it would not be appropriate to provide a broad brush approach to development. The new Local Plan should be used to address specific issues – issues that will need to be addressed if the overall vision is to be achieved. As the GCSPS has set out to do, it is necessary to first understand the specific needs of different quarters of the city, their potential and the need for change. Over a number of years, Jesus College and its advisors’ have engaged with the neighbouring Cambridge Biomedical Campus to understand its future requirements. It is with this specific knowledge that these representations have been prepared. Twenty years ago, the future of the southern Cambridge Fringe was planned comprehensively and with imagination – that vision needs to be refreshed now to address the consequences of growth from today’s perspective and to plan for a long term sustainable future. The need for change: the opportunity for growth The UK Life Sciences Industrial Strategy (2017) recognises that the life sciences sector is nationally important and a key contributor to the UK economy and it identifies Cambridge as one of three internationally significant clusters. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (‘CPIER’) (2018) states that the life science sector accounts for 16% of turnover and 18% of employment in South Cambridgeshire. Accordingly, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus was designated as a Life Sciences Opportunity Zone by the Government in February 2020. The campus was founded over fifty years ago, but it was the approval of a major extension in 2009 (LPA Ref. 06/0796/OUT) that catalysed the first phase of expansion. The speed at which the campus has subsequently attracted occupiers and delivered new floorspace has surpassed expectations. A recent study by the Cambridge Biomedical Campus forecasts the growth of staff numbers from 17,250 in 2016 to more than 26,000 by 20311. Since that study was published, central government has confirmed Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will receive a share of national seed funding of £100 million that means the Trust can draw up plans for a new hospital in preparation to secure full funding and start building work from as early as 2025. The growth of the campus must be commended: it now forms an integral part of Greater Cambridge and has helped sustain the city’s position on the global stage. However, it is necessary to recognise that its rapid growth has placed substantial pressure on local infrastructure and on the wider southern fringe of Cambridge as a whole. The future aspirations of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus will soon be confirmed through the production of a 2050 Vision Document (expected in late 2020), but the pressing need for a comprehensive strategy to address the emerging ‘problems of success’ and to secure a sustainable future is clear. The most visible issue with the campus is the existing stress on the local road network at peak hours, which makes travelling extremely difficult, affecting productivity, recruitment, wellbeing and air quality as a result of the slow moving/stationary vehicles. Car borne traffic predominates and studies by the Greater Cambridge 1 Cambridge Biomedical Campus (2018). Transport Strategy and 5-Year Implementation Plan. Partnership (‘GCP’) recognise the risk that the current problems with congestion will worsen as committed employment at the campus comes online unless there is significant investment in sustainable change. The region is also suffering from a lack of housing, in particular, housing that is affordable to campus staff, which affects the ability of organisations to both attract and retain valuable skilled staff and drives unsustainable commuting patterns. Occupiers have also identified a need for additional facilities to support campus life, including conference facilities, a hotel, schools and crèches2. The campus has some grow on space, but additional land will be required if the campus is to achieve its full potential, to accommodate another major inward investment or to maintain its historic growth trajectory through the new plan period. We respectfully suggest that it is the role of the new Local Plan to address these issues. The Plan’s four big themes will not otherwise be achieved in south Cambridge. Notwithstanding these constraints, the strength of the cluster is such that there continues to be relatively strong demand for floorspace at the campus, but the supply of land is now limited. The preparation of a new Local Plan provides the GCSPS with the important opportunity to resolve these issues and to provide development that accords with the big themes that it has identified. There is land available in a sustainable location that can be used to meet a critical need for general and campus related housing and infrastructure – and to complement the facilities at Cambridge Biomedical Campus with land uses which can strengthen the campus. The land at Cambridge South is in the Green Belt but no other land can address the needs of the southern fringe successfully or plan at a sufficient scale to provide the necessary infrastructure, subsidised housing or other complementary land uses. Cambridge South The big themes that are cited in the ‘First Conversation’ are all relevant to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The need for housing, supporting facilities and convenient routes to and from the campus are detracting from what should be ‘a great place’ and are harming wellbeing, carbon and air quality. The ‘problems of success’ provide a platform from which all of these important issues can be tackled in a comprehensive way, i.e. through a planned approach to development that has these important themes at its heart. We are confident that Cambridge South can provide solutions that are innovative and enable the delivery of the Councils’ higher level objectives as set out below. • Housing - the Cambridge South site is capable of delivering new homes tailored to the specific needs of the campus occupiers, particularly the needs of the hospitals where health workers face a severe and growing shortage of accessible and affordable housing. Initial feasibility studies demonstrate that up to 2,000 new homes could be provided, of which up to 1,000 would be affordable and tailored to the needs of campus related workers. We are committed to delivering housing as a whole that would attract and retain talent, strengthen the international 2 Planning permission for a hotel, conference centre and education centre was granted in 2014 (14/0120/FUL) but not subsequently brought forward and has now lapsed. competitiveness of the campus and enrich the sense of place as a living and working community. The affordable homes would be of a tenure and type to support and enable growth at the (particularly the hospitals) and could be controlled using restrictions similar to those recently agreed at the Wellcome Genome Campus. The provision of circa 2,000 homes would enable the delivery of new socio-economic infrastructure to support the new community and create a great place to live that is inclusive and focused on the wellbeing of its community. • Transport – The location of the Cambridge South site provides a unique opportunity to shape a community that can achieve mobility ‘sustainably’. A major new development at Cambridge South would create an opportunity for development that is not only able to mitigate its own impact on the local transport network, but that also incorporates new strategic infrastructure to address wider issues in the southern fringe and invests in existing public infrastructure. Both the site’s proximity to employment centres and its ability to deliver social and community infrastructure on site would ensure that active travel is an attractive and viable option and would enable ‘local living’. The Masterplan for the site will incorporate an approach that embraces local living and active and shared mobility. This approach places less priority on the car and frees up opportunity to create environments that encourage walking and cycling, making these the most obvious and convenient mode of travel. The provision of Active Travel Corridors through the development with priority over vehicles can be provided making vehicle movements a secondary consideration. Mobility Hubs are one of the best ways of providing and managing services, acting as a multi-modal interchange. The landowners are also developing proposals for a new rapid transit link between the Cambridge South site and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus which could remove vehicles from the Addenbrooke’s Road and the campus. This would help resolve the severe problem with congestion at peak hours, which has worsened with the continued development of the campus. • Facilities to support the cluster – the purpose of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus is to enable the worlds of academia, industry, research and health to meet, collaborate and work together to tackle global issues. Private corporations sit alongside charitable institutes and the hospitals, but the limited breadth of supporting facilities available at the campus has resulted in relative isolation between uses, which does not reflect the way in which the best UK and international campuses are developing in response to the needs of their staff and their occupiers. Occupiers of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus have identified a need for a conference centre, a hotel, supporting incubator floorspace to accommodate spin-out companies and SMEs, a new school and childcare facilities. The allocation of land at Cambridge South could address some of these shortcomings in a location close to the existing campus and relieve pressure on the most valuable land in the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to accommodate the uses most vital to the success of the campus. The land at Cambridge South could also be allocated for longer term expansion land to accommodate new major occupiers, however, it would do so in a planned way, working closely with Cambridge University Hospital Partnerships (‘CUHP’) to ensure that its future is complementary to the campus rather than competitive. Given the scale of the Cambridge South site, there is the potential to accommodate up to 85,000 sqm commercial floorspace3. • Open space: the development of Cambridge south offers the opportunity for a major new 200 acre country park, connecting the southern fringe communities with the river Cam and providing opportunities for large scale biodiversity enhancements. The Cambridge South site is uniquely located to provide sustainable growth in the south of Cambridge. It already benefits from excellent access to the M11, the new and proposed Park and Ride facilities with a busway, and extensive, dedicated cycle network providing access to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, local villages and the city centre. The emerging transit hub around South Cambridge station, which will include access to the Cambridge Autonomous Metro and East West Rail supports the shift to sustainable modes of transport and will help meet transport infrastructure demands in the area. Complementary infrastructure at Cambridge South can stitch these enhancements together and enable the work and living communities locally to work together to achieve sustainable travel. Enhanced sustainability would start with the colocation of complementary facilities to ‘mend’ the current position where the narrow range of uses forces long distance commuting and unnecessary travel for want of local facilities. Infrastructure investment and a commitment to active travel planning can deliver a sustainable future which cannot otherwise be achieved. Development at Cambridge South can bring forward its own infrastructure to link in with emerging local infrastructure proposals, supporting the GCSPS’s aspirations to mitigate the impacts of climate change and enable Cambridge to reach net zero carbon through the use of sustainable means of travel. The landowners recognise the importance of curating new development at Cambridge South to ensure that it enhances the existing campus occupiers and southern fringe communities to respond directly to their needs. Addressing emerging aspirations The landowners are committed to creating a development founded on radical enhancements to green infrastructure. Biodiversity will flourish as low-value agricultural fields are transformed into a network of species-rich green spaces, including a riparian river corridor, a major new country park and inviting recreational environments. Innovative transport solutions will combine with high quality architecture to create places that foster wellbeing and pride. Social infrastructure will add to the network of local facilities and provide a catalyst for local communities to come together. Only a truly mixed use development can leverage the synergy between the provision of up to 2,000 homes, including up to 1,000 affordable homes, alongside the potential for up to 85,000sqm of workspace, social and commercial uses to support the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Delivering development at scale allows the development to make significant investment into climate change adaptation through flood alleviation and on-site energy production. The site would be designed as an open, accessible place that makes a good 3 The Hawkins\Brown Design Document that accompanies this letter illustrates two masterplans: a housing led masterplan and a commercial led masterplan. In the latter option, it is estimated that between 2,500 and 4,500 could be supported, subject to the mix of commercial floorspace provided. neighbour to local communities. It would establish Cambridge’s edge and define what a sustainable mixed community can be. Summary Jesus College has developed a vision for a sustainable expansion of the Cambridge southern fringe, planned on a scale to enable investment in the infrastructure, social facilities, biodiversity, open space and affordable housing that the area needs. The committed growth of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus will continue to have an increased impact on already unsustainable traffic, housing and wellbeing unless these issues are addressed through intervention at a strategic level. The development of land on the southern fringe of Cambridge, including the allocation of Cambridge South as a strategic site, provides the opportunity to tackle these issues head on and support development that is serious about confronting climate change and creating a vibrant and inclusive new future for the southern fringe.

No uploaded files for public display

No choices made

Response to Question 42 7.9 A combination of approaches to the distribution of spatial growth are considered likely to be necessary in order to allow for sufficient flexibility when considering the locations of new housing and employment development in the district. Page 29 7.10 Land to the south of Station Road, Harston is considered to be an appropriate location for development, to maximise opportunities for residents to access local services and sustainable transport routes. Allocating this site will result a moderate extension of the village settlement boundary. Harston is located in the A10 corridor which is well served by trains and buses. The site is 3km from Foxton train station offering services to Cambridge (and beyond) and London. The proximity of this transport interchange makes it readily accessible by active modes of travel, particularly cycling and the site is therefore well located to promote sustainable travel modes and reduce the need to travel by car.

No choices made

The four big themes are all considered to be important aspects to achieving positive development. All four themes should be used to inform the spatial strategy within the Local Plan in terms of distributing growth and determining planning applications to deliver growth. It is therefore not considered necessary to rank the options in order of preference.

No choices made

Response to Question 42 8.1 A combination of approaches to the distribution of spatial growth are considered likely to be necessary in order to allow for sufficient flexibility when considering the locations of new housing and employment development in the Greater Cambridge area.

No choices made

Response to Question 7 4.3 The four big themes are all considered to be important aspects to achieving positive development. All four themes should be used to inform the spatial strategy within the Local Plan in terms of distributing growth and determining planning applications to deliver growth. It is therefore not considered necessary to rank the options in order of preference.