Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

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Form ID: 47241
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Ms Claire Shannon

The aims set out are ambitious and wide-ranging. It is important that the plan is not overly long and complex. Too often, planning policies are over-prescriptive and subsequently lead to protracted debates when a planning application is submitted. The plan should be kept as simple as possible. Local Plan policies should not duplicate or repeat the scope of matters better controlled by other legislation e.g. Building Regulations. Viability testing is important. The acute need for social housing is acknowledged and therefore additional demands on the house building industry in respect of increased sustainability standards for example, need to be balanced alongside competing interests. Sustainability across all three of the social, economic and environmental objectives should be kept in mind to ensure as far as possible gains in one area do not lead to detriment in others. For local employers, attracting qualified young professionals is becoming more difficult due to house prices. Those employees would never qualify for social housing and, in any event, aspire to homeownership. There is therefore a case for an element of affordable housing provision to be in the form of low-cost starter homes (e.g. discounted purchase).

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Form ID: 48386
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

Response to Question 2 Endurance Estates have already submitted details of the landholdings at land off A10 at Melbourn for allocation in the emerging Local Plan during the original 'Call for Sites' consultation in March 2019. This submission included:  Site Promotion Document  Indicative Masterplan  Technical Note on Drainage  Technical Note on Highways  Ecology Report Further to this original submission progress has been made on several the technical studies in relation to the site. A summary of these studies is set out below. Highways WSP, as highways and transportation consultants for the project, have designed a four-arm roundabout arrangement on the A10 to serve the proposed scheme. This arrangement has a number of benefits including slowing the speed of traffic on the A10; providing a much safer arrangement for vehicles exiting or entering Melbourn onto of off the A10; providing a dedicated bus stop on the A10 and providing a safe crossing and associated footpath network link into Melbourn for pedestrians. This arrangement has been assessed by Cambridgeshire County Council Highways and received provisional approval in principle. Utilities A utilities assessment has been undertaken by WSP to confirm that the site can be served by water; electricity; gas and telecoms. The findings of this report have confirmed that it is possible to serve the site with each of these utilities with several diversions and new connections. Ground Conditions Ground conditions have identified the underling ground conditions and potential sources of contamination. The Oil and Gas pipeline which crosses part of the site has been clearly indicated and will be considered in future site planning. Nothing has been highlighted that would preclude the site from being allocated for commercial uses. Market Conditions Update Further to the previous submission an update on market conditions is set out below based on the used we are intending to deliver on the site. B1/B2 Further to our previous representations the growth of Cambridge remains one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and an important driver to the UK economy. The region continues to attract inward investment and with continued upgrades to the transport infrastructures including the completion of the A14 upgrade works this year; new businesses will continue to be attracted to Cambridge and the surrounding region. The demand for commercial space (B1; B2) remains strong with companies attracted by the pool of skilled workers; links to the university and science parks. There continues to be generally low vacancy rates and stable demand for industrial floorspace. Office market conditions continues to see most activity in the prime locations in Cambridge City Centre however there is evidence to support there continues to be demand for offices that are well located with good transport links. Endurance remains confident that this site would have strong interest for commercial uses considering the occupier interest to date when the land has not yet been allocated in the development plan. There also remains a strong market for in the research and development sector across Cambridgeshire. The site would be suited to this type of development which is already established at Melbourn through the existing science park. C2 Care/Care Village There continues to be demand for care places across Cambridgeshire and the demand for specific Care Villages continues to increase. Endurance commissioned an independent report by HPC to look at C2 demand across the local plan area (See submitted report in full). The study concludes that, whilst rental options will remain predominant, ownership forms of specialist housing across Greater Cambridge are required in greater number. The Study references the Shop@ methodology which identifies areas of similar affluence to Greater Cambridge as having a need for 67% of specialist housing for the elderly subject to ownership (of varying form). This would not appear unrealistic, given that our own research identifies a little over 70% of Greater Cambridge individuals over the age of 65 to be owner occupiers. The site at Melbourn allows for the delivery of a care village on the parcel of land to the east of the A10 and closest to the existing built form of the village. Roadside Services (A1; A3; A5) The proposed development of a roadside services scheme at this site to serve the road users of the A10 remains a potential option. Endurance are in discussions with potential end users to deliver a scheme which would be brought forward in association with the new roundabout arrangement. Since the previous representations there have been no other applications for roadside services to serve this section of the A10. The A10 continues to be one of the primary transport corridors in Cambridgeshire serving the regional economy. The traffic use on the road is comfortably within the range of traffic required to justify a roadside services scheme in this location. The latest data from the Department of Transport (2018) indicates 16,000 daily traffic movements (both directions) past the site for all types of vehicle. This is likely to have only increased since the survey date. The nature of a roadside services scheme is that is not a new retail destination and its primary function is to serve the road user. There is currently a gap in the roadside services coverage on this part of the A10 so the proposed scheme will deliver the necessary services which are likely to include a Petrol Filling Station and Drive Thru Restaurants. The site will provide associated benefits to the residents of Meldreth and Melbourn, its primary function will be to serve motorist using the A10. Roadside services schemes due to their nature are located on the road network where a demand exists. They are generally not promoted through the local plan process as they are reacting to needs of the road user rather than the needs of a settlement. It is intended that a planning application will be submitted for this element of the site as this use can be delivered in isolation and is not reliant of the allocation of the wider site for business park use in the new Greater Cambridgeshire Local Plan. Public House (A4) There has been some interest to deliver a public house on the site. This is likely to be a family led pub with the focus being on the food offer with ancillary bar. There remains a possibility that an end user would also deliver associated overnight accommodation in adjoining building; which is a concept now being used by several of the major operators on sites well located to primary transport routes. Battery Storage/Renewables It remains the intention for the scheme to deliver some elements of renewable energy. Both battery storage and solar panels remain options for the scheme which would potentially link into the nearby grid connection and sell electricity back to the grid or provide renewable energy for the future business park. There remains the potential for collaboration with the adjoining solar park. With the emergence of more electric vehicles the site would also be suited to provide an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging for vehicles. It is currently estimated that the UK needs more than 80,000 EV charging points over the next two years to cope with future demands. There are more than 1million electric vehicles on UK roads in 2020 but currently only 16,500 charging points of which only 1,500 are the high-speed variety. At least 100,000 charging points are required to meet current demand. With the A10 being a primary transport corridor, the site is well placed to be able to deliver a highspeed charging facility for the use of motorists.

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Form ID: 48387
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

Agree

It is considered that 2040 is an appropriate date to plan for in light of the economic growth considerations in the CPIER report.

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Form ID: 48388
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

Nothing chosen

It is suggested that the relationship between the big themes and the overarching theme of sustainable development is further explained in the emerging GCLP. Paragraph 8 of the NPPF identifies the three overarching objectives of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) and notes that these objectives are interdependent and suggests that they need to pursue in mutually supportive ways. The NPPF is clearly framed such that sustainable development is the overarching theme of the planning system to which all other themes relate. It is requested that sustainable development is identified as the overarching theme, to be consistent with the approach in Paragraph 8 of the NPPF and in order to avoid one of the identified big themes being give greater importance than another. It is noted that the economic objective of sustainable development (paragraph 8 of the NPPF) specifically identifies the need to build a strong, responsive and competitive economy, by ensuring that sufficient land of the right types is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth, innovation and improved productivity.

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Form ID: 48389
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

Developments should be designed to encourage walking, cycling and utilise public transport to reduce the reliance on the private car. Where feasible, developments should support infrastructure for electric car charging points. The Melbourn scheme is seeking to deliver EV Charging points as part of the development. These will hopefully be available to the businesses located on the site and for use by the motorists using the A10 and from the nearby village of Melbourn.

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Form ID: 48390
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

Very important

Endurance Estates consider that continued economic growth is very important in respect of the next Local Plan. The Government’s 2019 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies should create the conditions in which businesses can invest, expand and adapt and that significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth and productivity, taking into account both local business needs and wider opportunities for development. Paragraph 20 of the NPPF notes that strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing, employment, retail, other commercial development and infrastructure amongst other matters. It is stated that this approach should allow each area to build on its strengths, counter any weaknesses and address the challenges of the future. It indicates that this is particularly important where Britain can be a global leader in driving innovation (paragraph 80). Paragraph 81 then goes on to state that planning policies should, amongst others: a) set out a clear economic vision and strategy which positively and proactively encourages sustainable economic growth, having regard to Local Industrial Strategies and other local policies for economic development and regeneration; b) set criteria, or identify strategic sites, for local and inward investment to match the strategy and to meet anticipated needs over the plan period; The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER 2018) sets out the context of the Greater Cambridge area and states that it is a prosperous area and attracts many international businesses to come to the area and grow. These businesses have brought about revolutionary advances in a wide array of fields, transforming lives around the world. This prosperous economy should be encouraged and allowed to grow and flourish within Great Cambridge to ensure that the area can reap the many economic benefits of this investment. The Cambridge Economy therefore remains of national importance and remains the leading technology and research centre in the UK however it is also important that other types of industry are also supported and encouraged to grow in the Cambridgeshire region. Jobs are needed in order to provide opportunities for the rapidly expanding population of Cambridgeshire and to ensure existing businesses are encouraged to remain in the region and new businesses are encouraged to move into the region. The Local Plan has an important role to play in ensuring that sufficient employment land is allocated for development in appropriate locations which suit where businesses wish to be located. The aim of the Combined Authority to double the total economic output of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough regions over the next 25 years will only be achieved if sufficient land is allocated for new development of businesses, and only if emerging policies are worded in such a way as to help existing businesses to expand and relocate within the Local Plan area. A variety of allocations are required to accommodate all types of business use and these should be located in a variety of locations but predominantly close to housing and primary transport routes. Access to public transport and cycle routes are also important considerations in respect of delivering sustainable development. We anticipate that the proposed business park at Melbourn will provide opportunities for new businesses moving into the region or existing Cambridgeshire businesses who wish to relocate and expand as their current site is too small or is restricted, but also want to stay close to their existing client base and workforce. The ability of existing businesses to relocate in the Local Plan area should be strongly promoted with Local Plan policy. Many businesses are restricted in their existing site which is preventing their expansion. Policies should therefore encourage business to be able to relocate without the need for lengthy marketing periods of similar restrictions. The relocation of a business frees up sites for other businesses to use or for potential redevelopment to other uses. Due to its location away for any residential development and directly accessing the A10 the Melbourn site will provide an ideal location for businesses which may not be considered suitable to be located close to residential development due to the noise and disturbance they generate or the high levels of traffic movement they create. Endurance have already been approached by once such Cambridgeshire business wishing to relocate to the Melbourn site. Their current site does not allow for any expansion whilst their ongoing manufacturing uses, and traffic generation have an ongoing negative impact on nearby residential development. There are a number of examples in recent years in South Cambridgeshire of where businesses have successfully relocated to more appropriate sites in these circumstances. Eg. Welch's Transport (Stapleford to A505); Plumbs Dairy (Balsham to The Grip, Linton).

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Form ID: 48391
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

The Local Plan should allow for all types of business space to be situated in the Local Plan area. Cambridge should remain a focus for science and research sectors, but there is need and demand for offices; industrial floorspace and storage and distribution uses along the primary transport corridors. These types of business will help in providing a range of job opportunities for both existing and future residents. Not all residents of Cambridgeshire are highly educated and working in the science sectors. Many are seeking opportunities for jobs in manufacturing which they may be currently out commuting from the area to reach. The upgrade to the A14 will no doubt provide opportunities to identify B8 distribution opportunities along the A14 corridor – something South Cambridgeshire has not really invested too much in previously with the majority of these B8 uses located in neighbouring authority areas. Equally the A10 corridor allows the opportunity to allocate employment sites for B1, B1C and B2 uses on a primary road network. Equally importantly given the wider sustainability and environmental objective of the emerging plan is that the site at Melbourn and much of the A10 corridor falls outside of the Cambridge Green Belt.

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Form ID: 48392
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

A ‘blanket approach’ to the protection of existing business and industrial space would be inappropriate and conflict with the NPPF which clearly identifies circumstances where employment land or premises that is not allocated for such purposes might be better utilised for other purposes (paragraph 121). Rather, in preparation of the GCLP, the plan-making authorities should objectively assess existing, available and planned employment land, to identify those sites that are most suited to continuing employment use to meet the needs of the GCLP area in meeting ambitions for economic growth. Where a site is located within a built-up area of Cambridge or in one of the villages there may be several reasons why its redevelopment should be considered appropriate such as: The business is creating environmental impacts which are detrimental to residents (Noise, traffic etc)  If in single use, the business has no room to expand and needs to move to a larger site.  The site forms part of a larger more strategic site. Where these situations occur these types of site should be identified as an appropriate allocation in the new plan. We would suggest that planning polices in the new Local Plan should be seeking to assist in helping businesses to relocate. No restrictions should be placed on these businesses to have to market the site or provide any other justification for them to move. Other employment sites which do not have such 'issues' should be protected from redevelopment and be clearly identified in the local Plan as protected employment sites where redevelopment will not be permitted other than for appropriate employment uses to be identified in the new Local Plan.

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Form ID: 48393
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

A ‘blanket approach’ to the protection of existing business and industrial space would be inappropriate and conflict with the NPPF which clearly identifies circumstances where employment land or premises that is not allocated for such purposes might be better utilised for other purposes (paragraph 121). Rather, in preparation of the GCLP, the plan-making authorities should objectively assess existing, available and planned employment land, to identify those sites that are most suited to continuing employment use to meet the needs of the GCLP area in meeting ambitions for economic growth. Where a site is located within a built-up area of Cambridge or in one of the villages there may be several reasons why its redevelopment should be considered appropriate such as: The business is creating environmental impacts which are detrimental to residents (Noise, traffic etc)  If in single use, the business has no room to expand and needs to move to a larger site.  The site forms part of a larger more strategic site. Where these situations occur these types of site should be identified as an appropriate allocation in the new plan. We would suggest that planning polices in the new Local Plan should be seeking to assist in helping businesses to relocate. No restrictions should be placed on these businesses to have to market the site or provide any other justification for them to move. Other employment sites which do not have such 'issues' should be protected from redevelopment and be clearly identified in the local Plan as protected employment sites where redevelopment will not be permitted other than for appropriate employment uses to be identified in the new Local Plan.

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Form ID: 48394
Respondent: Endurance Estates
Agent: Pegasus Group

All forms of business development should be supported through a new Local Plan. The majority of knowledge-based business will wish to be located in and around Cambridge so they can link into the university or the science park or many of the knowledge-based businesses. There are however other sustainable sites available within the plan area to deliver other types of development such as manufacturing, storage and distribution which are not particularly well-suited to a city centre or urban edge location. These sites need to be located close to major transport links and public transport but also close to houses for the work force. Endurance's site at Melbourn is the perfect example of a site suited for delivering these non-traditional types of business for Cambridgeshire. It will be capable of delivering a mix of B1, B1C and B2 uses in a sustainable location within short travelling distance to Cambridge and the M11 and A505 corridor. These types of sites on the primary transport routes should therefore be allocated to allow sufficiency choice within the plan area for a wide variety of businesses to establish themselves on a site most suited to their specific requirements.

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