Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

It is considered that the growth of villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and there is national guidance that supports this approach. Paragraph 78 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services. The promoted development at land at Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including a variety of convenience stores, a post office, a primary school (Swavesey Primary School) and a secondary school (Swavesey Village College), doctor's surgery and pharmacy, public houses and restaurants. Paragraph 68 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to the access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridgeshire. Therefore, it is requested that medium sized sites such as land at Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey is allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including medium sized sites that are easily deliverable. Paragraph 102 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 103 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable. As set out in the response to Qu.37, the promoted development at land at Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey is accessible by walking, cycling and public transport, and is well-related to the Cambridge Guided Busway stop to the north of the village. As set out in the call for sites submission, there are no significant constraints to development at land at Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey, and the promoted development includes flood and drainage improvement works to reduce the risk of flooding at the site and adjacent residential areas, which would benefit approximately 120 nearby properties on Moat Way and Whitegate Close. The site is not in the Green Belt. There are no heritage assets that affect the site. There is an established woodland belt at the western boundary of the site, and trees and hedgerows at the other site boundaries. The trees and hedgerows would mostly be retained and additional planting would be provided within the promoted development, and as a result there should not be a significant adverse effect on the landscape setting of the village. The proposed development includes a new access on to Fen Drayton Road with appropriate footways and junction arrangements. The promoted development would include a number of biodiversity enhancement measures, including planting, trees and habitats to support species, invertebrates and reptiles, a wildlife pond and a swale, and bird and bat boxes. For all these reasons it is requested that land at Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey is allocated for residential development in emerging GCLP.