Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

To whom it may concern, I would like to highlight a conflict of interest in that we have submitted a site for development into a fully serviced marina surrounded by sustainable housing next to the river on Fen Road and next to the science park. My concern is that the River Cam is only mentioned in the local plan in an environmental respect. Whilst this is of course important, the River Cam is much more than an important environmental site. It does not address the importance of the River Cam as a source of affordable housing with numerous vessels being lived on. Persons can currently live within the City of Cambridge for the price of a vessel, City Council mooring licence and our river licence (average annual cost is in the region of £4-5k). It does not address the lack of services provided to those persons who live on vessels on the River Cam. Poor quality sewage pump out point, there is a single water point, there is nowhere to refuel vessels on the River for Council moorings. There is also a huge lack of available residential mooring space in Cambridge with a waiting time of 10 years to be considered for a narrow beam vessel and 20 years for a wide beam vessel. The river is also hugely important with regard to providing recreation with literally tens of thousands of people using the river each year for enjoyment- walking, cycling, canoeing, rowing, sailing, motor boating, punting, paddle boarding, swimming etc. The river also supports hundreds of jobs and generates millions of pounds for the Cambridge economy each year as per the economic impact study provided to us by the same organisation that provides for the City Council. I think that a lack of provision for residential moorings, services and sustainable riverside housing on the fringes of Cambridge should be addressed in the local plan going forward.