Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The Trumpington Residents’ Association argues that too much development has a negative/counterproductive impact on well being and social inclusion. The approach that has been adopted in the Southern Fringe of developments which mix market and affordable homes has been successful as a design concept but more effort is needed by residents and Councils to break down barriers and involve everyone in the community. There should have been a much longer-term support programme funded by developers and coordinated by Councils, to help everyone integrate. There is also a need for more intermediate housing and provision for key workers and older people.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association is concerned that the emphasis in the text is very focused on the next round of developments, but the issues are not just about the next new communities, they are also about those that have already had growth. In Trumpington, we have had plans for major developments since 2006 and rapid growth since 2011, with the population expected to increase from 6000 to 17,000 by the end of the development projects in 2022. The process has worked well, with community involvement through our Association and the structures put in place by the Council, but there should have been a larger-scale and longer-term commitment by developers and the Councils to support the enlarged community. Many residents have only moved into the area in the last few years and there are still around 200 homes to complete on Clay Farm and 200 on Trumpington Meadows, yet the support structures have already been reduced, e.g. the closure of the Community Forum in 2019, the scaling back of support such as the Community Development Working Group in 2019, the reduced long-term investment in community and youth services and public transport support from 2020, as the developer funding comes to an end. The funding should have lasted much longer and the Councils should be doing more to step in to provide continuity. There needs to be a long-term commitment to these expanding communities. When the Southern Fringe developments were being planned, the Councils and residents tried to benefit from previous experience in developments such as Orchard Park and we suggest there is a case now for a similar process while the next new communities are planned.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association supports the items listed on page 43. One point to stress at the outset is that the needs of new developments must not be taken in isolation, they must be integrated with existing communities. Also, once a development ceases to be 'new', it still needs support. This is an important issue in an area such as Trumpington, where the Southern Fringe communities can no longer be categorised as 'new', but need long-term support. As in our response to Question 17, we stress the need for a long-term investment in support structures, including community workers, youth groups, support for local community centres, family support structures, etc. One issue where these support structures are crucial is in discouraging and responding to anti-social behaviour, where local residents are concerned that more effective action must be taken than has been the case in recent years. It is also essential that new communities have the timely provision of services such as schools, community centres, libraries, medical centres, shops, allotments, bus services, etc. In our experience, services such as local shops can be promised but delayed, with early residents suffering from inadequate facilities. We think that land owners including the Councils can be much more innovative in supporting new shops and small businesses, such as by rent relief. Also, the local experience has been that new developments have a high proportion of families and home workers, who need support systems. Overall, there needs to be considerable effort to ensure that established and new communities integrate and develop.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association challenges the way the question refers to 'new developments', these ideas and the need for support applies everywhere. We agree with the items listed on page 44 and refer to our response to Questions 17-18. From our local experience, we are particularly aware of the value of community centres, libraries, sports facilities, youth groups, community and youth support staff, play areas, open spaces and allotments. The developments in the Southern Fringe have been well designed but there needs to be a long-term investment in these support facilities. Cycling, walking and reducing car use is obviously important. The new developments in the Southern Fringe have reasonably good cycle routes but the integration between these and cycle routes across the city and to surrounding villages is still poor and public transport services are inadequate.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association supports the ideas on page 45 and the need to reduce car use and congestion, which is a serious issue on local roads as well as those in the City centre. We are very concerned at the need for much better public transport. With the local research community, there should be opportunities to make greater use of smart technology, such as in planning new developments and infrastructure and monitoring traffic patterns, air quality, etc. See also our response to question 15.

Based on our experience with the developments in the Southern Fringe, the Trumpington Residents’ Association stresses the importance of Design Codes and a strong investment by the Councils in the planning and development process. There is a need for the Councils to give more attention to monitoring the quality of new buildings and responding to poor quality. In the case of new developments (including recently completed areas), it is important to maintain their design ethos by restricting changes to individual properties, including alteration of approved car parking space standards, through continued implementation of planning controls, action against HMOs, etc. Protection is not just an issue for the City centre, but also other 'historic' areas such as our local Conservation Areas. Also, it is essential to protect the vision of the Cambridge Green Belt, by maintaining the compact city, by refusing further development at the transitions from countryside into the city such as on Hauxton Road.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association encourages the Councils to give continued support to local Conservation Areas.

Very important

The Trumpington Residents’ Association accepts that continued economic growth is 'very important', but the key factor in the development of the Local Plan should be the level of growth that is supported. We argue that there should be a full assessment as part of the Plan of the impact and consequences of different levels of economic growth, including the implications of these levels on the allocation of land for businesses and homes, the need for infrastructure, and the environment/climate change. This assessment should be published and the public consulted on the level of overall growth to be provided for in the Local Plan in light of its findings. The current consultation document has limited information about these options and we are very concerned that the higher projections of growth will be detrimental to Greater Cambridge as a whole as well as our area. “The First Conversation” reads as though the overall level of growth planned for will - in practice - be determined by market-led growth in the number of jobs, with “flexibility” in the additional number of homes to match this. We do not support such an approach. The overall level of growth to be provided for should give weight to all of the themes, and not be determined wholly by economic growth. We recognise the importance to the local and national economy of our neighbour, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), where many local residents work, and we all benefit from its hospitals and research. We support the considerable level of growth that has already been planned on the CBC site (although we do not think the additional extension into the fields near Nine Wells was justified), but we will object strongly to any further growth at that location. We will also strongly object to any plans for a science park on the land to the south of Addenbrooke's Road, between the M11 and the west side of Shelford Road.

The Trumpington Residents’ Association believes it is important to maintain the existing spaces for businesses and shops within our local community, they are a valuable resource. In planning further developments, more provision could be made for local supermarkets. Following the growth of population in Trumpington, it would be desirable to have an additional local supermarket, although we recognise that there is no suitable location.

As noted in our response to Question 24, the Trumpington Residents’ Association recognises the importance of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), and supports the considerable level of growth that has already been planned on the CBC site, but we will object to any further growth at that location. We will also strongly object to any plans for a science park on the land to the south of Addenbrooke's Road, between the M11 and the west side of Shelford Road. We understand the arguments advanced by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Commission and others for “agglomeration/densification” in the knowledge intensive sector, and the threat they point to of “Cambridge or overseas” [page 11 of the Commission’s report]. However, we are also very much aware that “there is a large supply (135 hectares) of employment land (in Greater Cambridge) that continues to be developed” [page 53]. A balance needs to be struck between employment growth and the four themes the Councils are proposing, which should be given equal weight.