Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Huntingdonshire District Council welcome the consultation on the Greater Cambridge Issues and Options document. Joint working on key areas such as the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and the Gypsies and Travellers Need Assessment is currently underway. The Council would like to be kept informed and be consulted on any topic areas that may have cross-border implications for the Huntingdonshire district including: • Distribution, location and amount of growth: housing and employment. • Potential implications of growth on the Great River Ouse and the Ouse Washes, the Fens, and flooding. • Green Infrastructure priorities, including promotion of tourism and recreational facilities in countryside locations such as Fen Drayton Lakes. • Transport impact of new developments on commuter flows from beyond Greater Cambridge into central employment locations. The Council looks forward to further discussion in the near future.

Agree

Agree Huntingdonshire District Council concur that 2040 is an appropriate date for this plan period given the level of uncertainty over the routing and delivery timeframes of major transport infrastructure projects including CAM Metro, East-West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge expressway. We consider that it may be appropriate for the next plan review to consider a longer plan period promoting large scale strategic sites to reflect these opportunities.

Disagree

Great Cambridge has identified the following cross boundary strategic issues: • Assessing housing need, including Gypsy & Traveller accommodation needs. • Wildlife habitats and green infrastructure. • Carbon offsetting and renewable energy generation. • Transport. • Water, including supply, quality, waste water and flood risk. Whilst Huntingdonshire District Council agree with the above issues, we would also suggest the following additional strategic issues that may impact upon the district and therefore require consideration. • Distribution, location and amount of growth: housing and employment. • Potential implications of growth on the Great River Ouse and the Ouse Washes, the Fens and South East Claylands, nearby designated and undesignated heritage assets. • The protection and enhancement of green and blue infrastructure corridors and linkages to the benefit of flora, fauna and recreational uses. • Tourism impact on visitor destinations and neighbouring villages such as Fenstanton and Houghton and Wyton in relation to potential increase in usage due to population growth.

Disagree

The big themes should more directly address the implications on the local economy of the goal of doubling the total economic output of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area over 25 years. The well-being and social inclusion big theme acknowledges the need to help spread the benefits of growth. It will be essential for Greater Cambridge to liaise carefully with other local authorities within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through the duty to cooperate to work towards spreading the benefits of growth across the whole area. The amount and distribution of employment growth proposed through the Local Plan should recognise the need to strike a balance between economic growth within Greater Cambridge and the aspirations for boosting growth within surrounding market towns through the Combined Authority’s Prospectuses for Growth programme.

Consideration of reducing the impact on the environment should also address the implications for flooding and natural soil resources. For instance, the northern edge of South Cambridgeshire lies within the Fens. Opportunities for carbon capture in conjunction with the doubling nature vision should be explored in coordination with adjoining local authorities. The Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 supports proposals for renewable and low carbon energy through policy LP35. Consideration of Landscape, townscape and heritage impacts must be addressed as part of the development. The Council would expect any such development within proximity of the Huntingdonshire boundary to consider this in its assessment.

Yes, strongly agree

Huntingdonshire District Council would encourage incorporation of extra climate adaptation and resilience features into new developments as this could boost the acceptance amongst developers of these approaches and improve market demand for them hence potentially boosting their viability for application across Huntingdonshire.

Where the Local Plan seeks to promote any strategic scale potential cross boundary nature improvement projects, we would welcome you working constructively with Huntingdonshire District Council through the Cambridgeshire Local Nature Partnership. We would also welcome engagement where any proposals may affect the Cambridgeshire Hundreds and the small woodlands bordering South Cambridgeshire.

The Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 supports protecting, enhancing and creating links to green infrastructure priority areas, the Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Network and rights of way network through policy LP3. Such priorities do not stop at Local Authority boundaries and therefore thought should be had to any potential cross border linkages including river crossings to increase the leisure opportunities and the distribution of the impact of tourism on area?

Yes, somewhat agree

Provided that additional tree cover is in suitable locations for example extensive tree planting within the Fens may be detrimental to the landscape character and carbon capture efficiency of the peatlands.

Policies and proposals should seek to promote mixed use areas and take into account the existing market and travel patterns including linkages to employment hubs in the surrounding area. Understanding the existing services and facilities in the area and the impact that new development may have on facilities in the surrounding districts will maximise efficient use of resources. Wellbeing and social inclusion will be promoted by providing a range of employment opportunities and working collaboratively with adjoining local authorities to maximise opportunities for less advantaged communities outside Greater Cambridge to access diverse high quality employment. Providing a range of housing typologies and understanding need (including affordable, adaptable homes and older people’s housing) will be essential for wellbeing and social inclusion. Where developments are close to the boundary of Greater Cambridge careful consideration should also be given to the scale and nature of housing and employment need from adjoining local authorities.