Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

6.2 A wide variety of space by location, size, function and price needs to be available to support the growth of the economy, offering choice to meet an occupier’s individual needs: “The requirements for physical space, like finance, have stages. What a business needs in its start-up phase is different to its needs as it matures and grows. It is vital, if an innovation ecosystem is to be effective for there to be variety and availability at every stage1.” 6.3 There must be flexible commercial space in both urban and rural areas. This is essential in order to support growth of local business and strengthen opportunities for local supply chains to engage in the growth industries of the region. While the Science and Technology sector is considered the engine of the Cambridge Phenomenon, it is important to have all types of commercial space to provide for a wide range of job opportunities. This will ensure Greater Cambridge is served at close quarters and does not overly rely on long-distance travel to service the area with goods and services. 6.4 The plan should make provision of storage and distribution buildings, Cambridge lacks distribution hubs where goods are consolidated into loads for last mile (5 mile) delivery, thereby reducing the volume of HGVs moving in and through the city and reducing air pollution. Well located sites with access to main distribution arteries, such as the A14 should be considered to avoid local HGV diversion and disruption to local communities. Delivering first-mile-last-mile connections across the Arc is a strategic priority of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Industrial Strategy 2019 and recognised in CPIER: “improving the “last mile” – the ability to move around within the city of Cambridge – is of a higher immediate priority than [these] inter-city links, as their effectiveness will be severely blunted without this” CPIER p80. 1 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Industrial Strategy 2019 p 41 6.5 The adopted Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans identify sites for future employment development. However, most of these sites are allocated only for B1 uses or have access and design constraints. None are located on the strategic road network. As such, the choice of sites on offer for industrial uses is severely limited. 6.6 Grange Farm is ideally located on the strategic highway network with the ability of providing a deliverable site with good access to main distribution arteries. The site is suitable for high quality light industrial and/or warehouse buildings with the opportunity to provide a local distribution hub, improving the ‘last mile’ to reduce HGV movements into the city.

6.7 A broad range of employment opportunities accessible by active modes of transport (including public transport) needs to be maintained in both urban and rural areas to ensure local jobs are available. Changes to Permitted Development Rights in recent years and the values associated with residential development has resulted in many employment spaces being lost to other uses. A range of employment sites is required to ensure the new Local Plan meets economic needs of the area.

6.8 Whilst the focus of Cambridge is the Science and Technology sector as the driving force of the economy, there is a requirement for a range of job opportunities, in urban and more rural areas. The Local Plan policy framework needs to provide for a full range of opportunities; as planned allocations and windfall employment opportunities.

7.1 This can principally be achieved through locating new development in locations which have good access to sustainable modes of transport. New development should be located to take advantage of existing or planned transport infrastructure and should be designed in a manner which encourages the take up of active modes of travel. 7.2 The site is well positioned next to the A14 providing excellent transport links with a dedicated pedestrian and cycle path to the village of Girton, which can be reached within a 9-minute cycle journey/21 minute walk. Its location means that there are options for sustainable travel

Nothing chosen

8.1 The Local Plan should be focussed on providing sustainable development in the most appropriate locations. To prioritise the four big themes will result in some development impacts. 8.2 Notwithstanding the underlying purposes of the Green Belt (Para. 134 of the NPPF), where it can be demonstrated that appropriate development can be brought forward in the Green Belt, sites should be considered within the context of their individual circumstances. Applications should be considered in the contact of Para. 136 of the NPPF including an assessment as to whether it can be demonstrated that a proposed development would bring substantial benefits, outweighing the loss of Green Belt land and thereby demonstrate exceptional circumstances needed to justify Green Belt release. In accordance with Para. 138, Green Belt boundaries should be reviewed to reflect the need to promote sustainable patterns of development. If the release of Green Belt can facilitate more sustainable patterns of development, particularly if the land has been previously developed or is well-served by public transport, there should be policy provision to allow for a consideration of this in order to determine Green Belt planning applications within the emerging Local Plan.

Nothing chosen

8.3 The presumption in favour of sustainable development is recognised, however there should be a degree of flexibility in terms of allowing appropriate development outside of the settlement boundaries of villages, in particular, if development meets a particular local business or community need as set out within Para. 84 of the NPPF. Sustainable development in rural areas is also supported under Para. 78 of the NPPF, which requires planning policies to identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services. A degree of flexibility is even more pertinent to the largest, most sustainable villages in the District, such as Rural and Minor Rural Centres, which provide the facilities and services to encourage more sustainable behaviours.

Agree

Agree - The four big themes for the Local Plan are considered suitable and all are considered to be important in the consideration of the spatial distribution of growth in the district, and for the determination of planning applications. The four big themes will generate a new way of planning, this may require a different way to make decisions; to allow other impacts to happen in order to achieve these four priorities. The Local Plan policy framework will need to allow for a clear planning balance to take place to assess and prioritise impacts.

Agree

The proposed Local Plan period up to 2040 is considered appropriate and to accord with the requirements set out within the NPPF for local authorities to identify a sufficient supply and mix of sites between years 1-15 of the plan (Para 67).

No choices made

Response to Question 42 8.6 No single solution will deliver a sound Local Plan; rather, a combination of approaches to the distribution of spatial growth will be necessary in order to establish the appropriate locations of new housing and employment development in the district. A hybrid approach will be required but underpinned with a focus on transport corridors and accessible areas. 8.7 It is considered that an element of village dispersal should form part of a hybrid spatial strategy. Whilst a village dispersal approach should consider villages from across the settlement hierarchy, it should seek to allocate sites for development at locations in villages which are or can be made sustainable. To contribute to this strategy, Impington and Histon, a Rural Centre, is considered to be one of the most sustainable settlements in the District and an ideal location for future development given the range of services and facilities it contains.

No choices made

Response to Question 42 8.4 No single solution will deliver a sound Local Plan; rather, a combination of approaches to the distribution of spatial growth will be necessary in order to establish the appropriate locations of new housing and employment development in the district. A hybrid approach will be required but underpinned with a focus on transport corridors and accessible areas. In terms of providing employment opportunities. The Plan must provide flexibility for existing employment sites to grow, meaning small employment sites such as Grange Farm, which is located on the strategic transport corridor, should be allocated. 8.5 It is considered that an element of village dispersal should form part of a hybrid spatial strategy. Whilst a village dispersal approach should consider villages from across the settlement hierarchy, it should seek to allocate sites for development at locations in villages which are or can be made sustainable.