Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The Issues and Options Consultation and the Sustainable Design & Construction Supplementary Planning Document discuss adaptation for climate change for new development but do not provide much guidance on facilitating adaptation of existing buildings and neighbourhoods. The Local Plan should give clear support for the following, particularly where there are tensions with other plan policies, including those relating to heritage conservation. Examples might include: • Retrofit of external shading devices (for example shutters, retractable awnings or fixed louvres) • Reductions to existing glazed area where it is the cause of excessive solar gain (an issue more prevalent in post-war buildings) • Alteration / replacement of windows to facilitate secure means of ventilation at night or when vacant • Alteration to rainwater goods, and roof upstands to cope with higher rainfall intensity • Alterations to window openings and entry points to semi-basements to reduce risk of water ingress due to surface water flooding Changes to existing roof build-ups to cope with increased wind uplift, to increase solar reflectance, or to increase thermal lag.

The University of Cambridge has adopted a 1.5 degrees Science Based Target for carbon reduction, committing itself to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2048, with a steep 75% decrease on 2015 emissions by 2030. To achieve this target the University will need the following support from the Local Plan: - building-related policies to support high levels of energy efficiency, including high levels of thermal insulation through the adaption of existing buildings and in new build. - energy-related policies to support a transition to zero-carbon sources of energy. This will require: - The adaption of built assets, including heritage assets - The installation of heat pumps - Upgrade to on-site and off-site energy transmission infrastructure - A positive approach to off-site renewable energy generation in Greater Cambridge, including solar farms It’s essential therefore for the Local Plan to contain clearly written and unambiguous policies that give considerable weight in favour of works to achieve zero carbon energy related emissions, particularly where there are tensions with other plan policies, including for example those relating to heritage conservation. The Local Plan should be supported by design guidance from the local planning authorities on options to achieve climate change adaption and mitigation in heritage assets. Biodiversity (nature) can plan an important part in achieving a net zero carbon by the adoption of Nature-Based Solutions to climate change. These include measures such as maintain and enhancing existing nature reserves and habitats, particularly woodland, wetlands and natural grasslands/peatlands, as well and creating new biodiverse habitats by appropriate tree planting, wetland creation etc. If future housing developments are at a higher density this could maximise the amount of land available for carbon capture through tree planting and other biodiversity net gain measures.

There are opportunities for the local plan to set and achieve clear targets for a net gain of biodiversity in the region with the associated benefits for human health and well-being, delivering nature-based solutions to climate change and improving sustainable food production locally. Increasing density of housing developments, could enable larger areas to be devoted to woodland, food production and ‘rewilded’ areas for nature conservation and human wellbeing. Biodiversity offsetting for all new development offers an opportunity to enhance the regions’ biodiversity for the benefit of people and nature.

Green space needs to be more connected and principle sites for biodiversity need to be as large as possible to minimise edge effects. For example, there can be greater biodiversity value in two large sites with a singular corridor than a disrupted network of smaller sites. Creating a separation between green space purely designed for recreation, and green space for biodiversity will be important for the conservation of certain key species/habitats for which the region is of local and/or national importance. Recognising that, for example, grassed areas like football fields provide minimal biodiversity value and some areas with high biodiversity value, like Nine Wells, are suffering from overuse for recreation. Please refer to the submission made by the North Barton Road Land Owners Group for the development of land north of Barton Road, referred to as South West Cambridge, where there is potential to provide a comprehensive new green infrastructure network.

This can partly be achieved by ensuring that any new developments provide connectivity for wildlife between green areas, including rows of trees, hedgerows, ditches and other water courses to connect patches of green space. This could include more ambitious schemes where the offsetting from several developments could be used, for example, to purchase larger areas of land, which have a disproportionately larger beneficial effect on biodiversity by minimising edge effects. Ensure that planting schemes have a focus on mixes of plants that are suitable both for use by native pollinators and organisms but will also continue to grow in dryer and hotter conditions. Consider the ecological resilience of both trees and smaller shrubs both in terms of how they support biodiversity more generally but also how they can continue to fulfil this function as the climate changes. Adjust planning expectations of tidiness to produce more biodiverse space. The University of Cambridge is supportive of biodiversity net gain as a key principle for the Local Plan, and is currently developing its own metric for measuring biodiversity on the University Estate. We will publish an evidence-based target for biodiversity net gain with our Biodiversity Action Plan. This metric is based on the proposed Defra Biodiversity Metric but has a number of adaptations that make it more appropriate for ongoing management rather than simply offsetting development losses. We would welcome proposals that see ongoing biodiversity management enforcement enshrined as part of the planning process.

Yes, somewhat agree

The University supports increasing the area of tree cover in the area providing it is of a diversity of native species, planted in the appropriate places. We would not wish to see trees replace native grassland habitats in the region, some of which hold important populations of locally and nationally important species.

Allocating sites for housing development in locations in Cambridge that offer relatively high land value capture will help to achieve greater levels of developer funding for wellbeing and social inclusion measures, including affordable housing.

See the response to question 16

The University would support a Cambridge focussed development strategy, in order to reduce the need to travel, enable travel by affordable and sustainable modes, and to benefit from uplift in land value for investment in social infrastructure.

Air quality in Greater Cambridge is affected by emissions from space heating and from transport. The Local Plan should contain policies that support heat pumps as the primary source of energy for space heating, both for new development and in replacing heating systems in existing buildings. Government policy identifies the relationship between air quality and patterns of growth and travel (NPPF paragraph 103). The Local Plan should allocate development sites that are accessible by walking, cycling and public transport and which would enable travel by sustainable modes of transport leading to reductions in congestion and emissions.