Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The spatial strategy approach is a key way of encouraging shifts away from car use towards more sustainable modes of transport by focusing development in locations with good existing public transport or with potential for improved public transport. However, this needs to be balanced in the rural areas where the NPPF recognises that the opportunities will vary between urban and rural areas. The need to identify a high number of small and medium sized sites in the rural areas means that sites which are well located in relation to existing services and facilities such as Scott Properties' site at land to the south of The Causeway, Kneesworth, SG8 5JD, should be preferred over more remote and isolated locations in the rural areas. The site is located centrally within the Parish of Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth. It is situated on the southern side of the Causeway which connects Kneesworth to the east with Bassingbourn to the west. Essentially, the villages operate as one larger settlement and share an extensive range of services and facilities, including shops, pubs, schools, restaurants, sports centre, employment sites and medical facilities. Furthermore, the town of Royston lies just 1.5 miles to the south of Kneesworth and contains a more extensive range of services, retail offers, employment opportunities and leisure and recreational facilities. It also has a mainline railway station providing regular services to London and Cambridge. In settlement hierarchy terms Royston is a Market Town, a higher tier in sustainability terms than any of the settlements in South Cambridgeshire a factor which should not be overlooked. Accordingly, we consider that the site is in a highly sustainable rural location. It is particularly well-placed to encourage shifts towards more sustainable modes, albeit that there may still be a need for shorter motorised journeys. Summary of Comments: The spatial strategy will need to recognise the different opportunities available between urban and rural areas.

Highly flexible

The acknowledgment of the important role that villages play is strongly welcomed. It is critical that villages are provide with opportunities to grow in a sustainable way to meet the significant growth needs of the plan area and to promote a prosperous rural economy. As stated within the Issues and Options document at paragraph 5.2.5, the currently adopted 2018 South Cambridgeshire Local Plan sets a development framework for each village, outside which development is heavily restricted. In addition, villages within the Local Plan 2018 have been categorised dependant on their ‘sustainability’. Bassingbourn is identified in the current South Cambridgeshire Local Plan as a Minor Rural Centre (Policy S/9). This is the second tier in the settlement hierarchy below Rural Centres (Policy S/8). Minor Rural Centres are described as ‘having a lower level of services, facilities, and employment than Rural Centres, but a greater level than most other villages in South Cambridgeshire, and often perform a role in terms of providing services and facilities for a small rural hinterland’. Bassingbourn is not in the Green Belt unlike many of the Rural Centres and is very close to Royston. The current policy (Policy S/9) permits ‘Residential development and redevelopment up to an indicative maximum scheme size of 30 dwellings…within the development frameworks of Minor Rural Centres’. While the Rural Centres are more appropriately unlimited, our clients site would be below the 30 unit threshold, although currently outside the development framework. Kneesworth, is however currently classified in its own right as an Infill Village (Policy S/11) where schemes are generally restricted to not more than two dwellings. This policy approach is considered to be unduly restrictive and the new Local Plan should allow for a greater level of development in sustainable locations. However, if the new local plan does retain a similar settlement hierarchy, then Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth should be reclassified as one settlement in a similar way that Great Shelford & Stapleford is and also Histon & Impington are. We encourage the next Local Plan to re-examine the approach currently taken to village growth and explore the re-grouping of village categories and flexibility on the scale of development within and beyond newer more specific village groups. It is clear that all the villages vary significantly in terms of the services provided. However, the scale of growth required, and in particular small sites of 1 Ha or less, means that there will need to be a significant number of small and medium sized sites allocated across all of the settlements in the rural area. Summary of Comments: The new Plan should be highly flexible towards development of jobs/homes on the edge of villages to be able support the significant development needs.

Question 47. What do you think about growing our villages? While villages may not be the entire focus for all growth, it is critical that they play a significant contribution to the overall mix of development. In particular as locations for small and medium sized sites. Moreover it is important to understand that there are several different types of villages within the Greater Cambridge area ranging from large villages with a large range of shops, services, and services, to smaller villages with fewer facilities. The level of growth being attributed to each settlement should take into account a wide range of factors and it is important that the role of new development, which is rightly identified in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan as an advantage, should not be underplayed or underestimated. Growth in villages is essential to enable them to grow and thrive and to support existing services and infrastrcuture such as public transport, schools, and shops. The growth is also essential to support a prosperous rural economy. It should also be noted that some of the challenges identified within the Greater Cambridge Local Plan may not necessarily be applicable to all villages. For example, under section 5.3.3 of the Plan, it identifies that spreading homes to villages 'Can result in increased commuting by car, and travel to access…services and facilities, particularly if the village is away from main transport corridors'. In this instance, Scott Propoerties' site to the south of The Causeway, Kneesworth SG8 5JD is located within close proiximity to local shops, services, schools, and facilities including medical facilities, together with regular bus services. Furthermore, the town of Royston lies just 1.5 miles to the south of Kneesworth and contains a full range of services, retail offers, employment opportunities and leisure and recreational facilities. It also has a mainline railway station providing regular services to London and Cambridge. In settlement hierarchy terms Royston is a Market Town, a higher tier in sustainability terms than any of the settlements in South Cambridgeshire a factor which should not be overlooked. Accordingly, we consider that the site is in a highly sustainable rural location. Summary of Comments: Support for a strategy that includes growth in villages at a level that is commensurate with their size and scale and enables sustainable growth.

It is considered that the development strategy and settlement hierarchy policies in the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan: S/6, S/7, S/8, S/9, S10 & S/11 are unnecessarily restrictive and do not promote sustainable patterns of growth or allow appropriate levels of growth in rural areas, as required to support a prosperous rural economy. The NPPF recognises that rural settlements operate in a more complex way then a simple hierarchy, based on the presence/location of services and facilities. Often, a larger centre acts as a focus for a network of surrounding hinterland villages and it would be more appropriate for these groupings to be considered as a whole. It may be more appropriate that development in a number of hinterland villages, which would support, and be supported by, services and facilities in a larger settlement, would represent a more sustainable pattern of growth. It is not always the best solution to be adding growth to larger settlements where smaller settlements may be able to accommodate growth with less environmental harm. The new Local Plan should be more flexible and not apply upper limits to levels of growth, rather look to allocate a significant range of small and medium sized sites throughout the rural group areas, selecting the most appropriate sites, rather than those simply closest to services and facilities. As set out in question 31, in order to deliver 10% of small sites of one hectare of less, potentially over 266 sites will need to be found in the rural areas and a similar supply of medium sized site will also need to be found to maintain delivery and provide flexibility. It needs to be recognised that opportunities to maximise sustainable transport solutions are different in rural areas (NPPF paragraph 103). Reduced sustainable transport opportunities should not simply be used as a reason to rule out growth which may have greater benefits in terms of enhancing the vitality of rural communities. It is important that opportunities for villages to grow and thrive are identified rather than stifled by overly rigid policies. Summary of Comments: Support for a blended spatial strategy that includes growth in the villages.

Nothing chosen

As outlined within the Local Plan Issues and Options document, the future Local Plan must aim to ensure sustainable development. In order to achieve this, competing priorities and issues need to be balanced. Greater Cambridge Planning has grouped these into the following themes: - Climate Change; - Biodiversity and Green Spaces; - Wellbeing and Social Inclusion; and - Great Places. We agree with these ‘big themes’ that have been proposed for the Local Plan, in particular ‘Climate Change’ and how the plan should contribute to achieving net zero carbon. Chapter 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) focusses on ‘Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change’. “The planning system should support the transition to a low carbon future in a changing climate, taking full account of flood risk and coastal change. It should help to: shape places in ways that contribute to radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, minimise vulnerability and improve resilience; encourage the reuse of existing resources, including the conversion of existing buildings; and support renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure.” (Paragraph 148 – NPPF, 2019) Scott Properties feel passionately about the need to address Climate Change. It is agreed that this is one of the most important factors to our future and as such should be a key consideration in the preparation of the new Local Plan. New policies should support appropriate measures to ensure the resilience of communities and infrastructure to climate change impacts such as floods, heatwaves and droughts which are considered likely to the Cambridge area. On the 21st February 2019, Cambridge City Council declared a ‘climate emergency’ and called on the Government, industry and regulators to implement the necessary changes to enable Cambridge and the rest of the UK to reach net zero carbon by 2030. Furthermore, we believe that my client’s sites can help address these themes, particularly in response to Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion and Great Places. The scheme currently proposed at Kneesworth could comprise single storey dwellings suitable for those aged 55 and over as well as those with or supporting someone with a disability, with associated site infrastructure and public open space. It could deliver a mix of 6 x 1 bed properties, 8 x 2 bed properties and 11 x 3 bed properties. As detailed in the Experian Demographic Report attached, there is a significant ageing population in Kneesworth and the immediate area, with 64% of the population growth in the local area in the next 5 years being in the 55 and over age category. The provision of specialist accommodation for older people allows people to downsize while remaining in the local area and close to friends and family. New family housing also comes to the market as a result, reducing the pressure to provide additional family housing sites in the local area. This in turn allows new families to move to the area helping to redress the demographic in balance and increase support for the continuance of demand for existing services and facilities. The proposed development could also make a significant contribution towards affordable housing provision in a relatively expensive area with a high housing need. Public open space will be provided for the enjoyment of both new and existing residents, and it will be possible to deliver net biodiversity gains compared to the current intensive agricultural use through the provision of green infrastructure, wildlife corridors and dedicated ecology area. It is considered that the site previously promoted through the Call for Sites exercise reflects the themes and aims of the emerging Local Plan. Summary of Comments: We support the key themes.

Q45: What do you think about developing around the edge of Cambridge in the Green Belt? The focus on growing our villages throughout South Cambridgeshire District would, as paragraph 5.4.3 of the consultation document outlines, maximise the potential for sustainable transport. Paragraph 136 of the NPPF is clear that Green Belt boundaries should only be altered where exceptional circumstances can be evidenced and justified through the preparation or updating of plans. In respect of M Scott Properties' Site, Land East of Ditton Lane, it is located outside the development framework of Fen Ditton, which is a settlement located on the edge of Cambridge and has excellent public transport links into the centre, which is also accessible by cycling and walking. In addition, it benefits from a number of services and facilities, and the Site represents the first site within a distance of 0.5km of the doctor's surgery which is suitable for development. Paragraph 138 of the NPPF states promoting sustainable patterns of development should be taken into account when reviewing Green Belt boundaries. It goes on to state that Local Planning Authorities should channel sustainable development towards urban areas within the Green Belt boundaries and the impact of removing land from the Green Belt should be offset through compensatory improvements. Paragraph 136 of the NPPF states that Green Belt boundaries should only be altered where exceptional circumstances are fully evidenced and justified through the preparation and updating of plans. The preparation of the new Local Plan therefore represents an opportunity to review the Green Belt boundary for the sites being put forward by M Scott Properties. We believe the Site is suitable for a sympathetic, sustainable and proportionate extension to the existing settlements of both Fen Ditton and Cambridge City for the provision of specialist housing for those aged 55 and over as well as those with or supporting someone with a disability. The Site is ideally located on the edge of Cambridge with excellent transport links into the centre via public transport, cycling and walking. In view of this, with the support of an allocation, we would encourage our client to bring forward a development that takes advantage of these links to reduce the amount of private car journeys into Cambridge and improves footway and cycleway connections, access to the remaining Green Belt with biodiversity and environmental quality compensatory improvements. The concept of Green Belt was introduced in 1955 and has remained relatively unchanged for some 65 years. At the time the Green Belt was introduced, the need to promote sustainable development which meets today’s needs including housing, employment and environmental considerations were very different. Today’s issues of climate change, congestion, pollution, water security, food production and fuel poverty suggest that a more radical approach to planning policy is required. At the time the Green Belt was established, the tools available to planners were more limited and the ability to analyse opportunities and constraints and develop robust evidence and justification, were at best very basic. A blanket protection of large swathes of land was therefore considered appropriate. At the time the pressures for growth and essential need for development were considerably less. Greater Cambridge is an exceptional area, both in its contribution to the national economy and its international reputation. In order to sustain its natural growth in a sustainable way, a wholesale review of the Cambridge Green Belt should be undertaken. This should be a balanced review, not simply an assessment of the performance of various parcels of land against the purposes of Green Belt. It should be a challenging assessment balancing the scale of development required to support the growth necessary to deliver the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough vision of doubling the total economic output of the area over the next 25 years. To support this level of job growth around 2,900 homes will need to be built each year to deliver a total of 66,700 homes between 2017 – 2040. It is imperative both locally and at the national level that Cambridge maintains its international reputation and the blanket protection provided by existing outdated Green Belt policy only stifles sustainable growth. However, we consider that the Green Belt review process should incorporate a finer grain assessment of specific parcels of land put forward for development, particularly smaller sites adjoining settlement boundaries, such as the land east of Ditton Lane, Fen Ditton. Cambridge as a city is also exceptional and as such a radical review of Green Belt policy is clearly justified to facilitate its growth. The tools available today to analyse and inform plan making decisions are highly sophisticated and should be used to undertake a challenging and balanced review of the existing Green Belt. Summary of Comments: The opportunity to release sites in the Green Belt should be properly considered through a finer grain Green Belt assessment of promoted sites.

Question 47. What do you think about growing our villages? While villages may not be the entire focus for all growth, it is critical that they play a significant contribution to the overall mix of development. In particular as locations for small and medium sized sites. Moreover it is important to understand that there are several different types of villages within the Greater Cambridge area ranging from large villages with a large range of shops, services, and services, to smaller villages with fewer facilities. The level of growth being attributed to each settlement should take into account a wide range of factors and it is important that the role of new development, which is rightly identified in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan as an advantage, should not be underplayed or underestimated. Growth in villages is essential to enable them to grow and thrive and to support existing services and infrastructure such as public transport, schools, and shops. The growth is also essential to support a prosperous rural economy and, is recognised in paragraph 78 of the NPPF. It should also be noted that some of the challenges identified within the Greater Cambridge Local Plan may not necessarily be applicable to all villages. For example, under section 5.3.3 of the Plan, it identifies that spreading homes to villages 'can result in increased commuting by car, and travel to access…services and facilities, particularly if the village is away from main transport corridors.' In this instance, Scott Properties' Site to the east of Ditton Lane, Fen Ditton, is located within close proiximity to local shops and services with regular bus services. Cambridge City boundary abuts the Site to the south and contains a full range of services, retail offers, employment opportunities and leisure and recreational facilities. It also has a mainline railway station providing regular services to London, Birmingham, Stansted Airport, Ely, Ipswich and Brighton. Newmarket Road Park and Ride is also within walking distance. Accordingly, we consider that the Site is in a highly sustainable rural location within the South Cambridgeshire District, and is an appropriate area for growth. There is a clearly defined need for specialist accommodation within Fen Ditton, as shown in the Experian report and the Specialist Accommodation Needs Assessment accompanying this submission, which supports the allocation of the Site for c.30 single storey dwellings specifically designed for those aged 55 and over as well as those with or supporting someone with a disability. In addition, and as shown in the Context & Planning Policy Plan accompanying these submissions, the Site is located within 0.5km of the doctor's surgery, and represents the only suitable site within Fen Ditton with this credential. Summary of Comments: Support for a strategy that includes growth in villages at a level that is commensurate with their size and scale and enables sustainable growth.

Q48. What do you think about siting development along transport corridors? Focussing homes and jobs along key public transport corridors and around transport hubs extending out from Cambridge could be achieved by focussing growth around the towns and villages located along these routes and this is strongly supported. Siting development along these corridors would capitalise on improved connectivity and transport networks and in some cases, reduce the need for travel by private car. This would assist in meeting the big themes as set out in the Local Plan, particularly climate change, given it would promote more sustainable methods of travel. Fen Ditton is a village that has excellent public transport links on the edge of Cambridge City. Development of our client's Site, Land east of Ditton Lane would represent an opporunity for development on a site on the edge of Cambridge, on a key tranport link, and reducing the need for travel by private car into the City. Summary of Comments: Siting development along transport corridors is supported, and will help to achieve the big themes of the Plan by encouraging sustainable travel.

Q33. What kind of housing do you think we should provide? The Plan acknowledges at paragraph 4.6.3 that the Plan must provide market and affordable homes that meet the varied needs of communities, including those who need specialist housing. It also recognises that providing suitable homes in the right locations for those looking to downsize will also enable family homes to be freed up, making best use of the housing that exists already. This approach is supported in both national policy and PPG. In particular the Housing for older and disabled people PPG, which was published after the adoption of the existing Local Plans, requires plan makers to consider the diverse needs of older people, including those approaching retirement. PPG also states that 'Plan-making authorities should set clear policies to address the housing needs of groups with particular needs such as older and disabled people' (Paragraph: 006 Reference ID: 63-006-20190626). We support the Plan's recognition of the need to provide suitable homes in the right locations. A lack of availability of suitable accommodation forces people to move away from friends and family to find a property more suited to their needs, or, to make costly adaptions to their own homes. In order to ensure an adequate provision of specialist housing, Scott Properties believe that as well as a housing mix policy to encourage a range of properties to suit a variety of needs, specific allocations should be made for specialist housing. This will ensure that a varied type of housing can come forward to meet the diverse needs of older people as set out in PPG and provide choice for those in later life, which can include: - Age-restricted general market housing - Retirement living or sheltered housing - Extra care housing or housing-with-care - Residential care homes and nursing homes To ensure a variety of the housing, as identified within PPG above is delivered within Greater Cambridge, the Plan should make specific allocations as opposed to just a generic housing mix policy that requires a diverse mix of housing. General housebuilders do not build specialist housing, and by providing housing that is deemed as suitable for older people that is also available to the general housing market does not adddress the varied and diverse needs of older people, or those with a disability. In addition, there are viability issues with providing specialist housing where the provision for market housing has been accepted, therefore this does not come forward on sites allocated for general purpose housing. We would draw attention to the recent interim findings of the Inspector following the examination of the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan, which states: 'The Plan as submitted seeks to address the needs of older people through Policy SCLP5.8 Housing Mix. The Policy however, whilst supporting the provision of housing for older people, does not address clearly the significant need identified and would not be effective in delivering the market or affordable housing units for older people required. The Policy and supporting text should be amended to set out how the housing needs of older people will be addressed through the provision of housing and to boost the supply of this type of housing.' We would therefore encourage the Council to consider the merits of allocating specific sites for specialist accommodation within the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. This is particularly important given almost 22% of the population within Greater Cambridge will be aged 65 and over by 2035. It is vitally important that suitable housing is provided to meet the needs of an ageing population. c.30 single storey properties specifically designed for those aged 55 and over as well as those with or supporting someone with a disability are proposed on land to the east of Ditton Lane, Fen Ditton. By providing this type of accommodation on an edge of village location, allows people wishing to move to a property better suited to their current or future needs, whilst remaining close to friends and family. Fen Ditton is also an area with a defined need, as shown in the Experian Report and the Specialist Accommodation Needs Assessment accompanying these representations. As calculated from Experian data, there is a potential need for up to 125 properties for those aged 65 and over within a 5 minute drive-time of Fen Ditton by 2023. The Site therefore presents an opportunity to make a modest, albeit required contribution to a locally defined housing need. Summary of Comments: The Plan should provide specialist housing allocations as well as a housing mix policy to ensure the needs of older and disabled people are met.

Nothing chosen

The acknowledgment of the important role that villages play is strongly welcomed. It is critical that villages are provide with opportunities to grow in a sustainable way to meet the significant growth needs of the plan area and to promote a prosperous rural economy. Fen Ditton is identified in the current South Cambridgeshire Local Plan as a Group Village (Policy S/10), along with 32 other villages. This is the third tier in the settlement hierarchy below Minor Rural Centres (Policy S/9). Group Villages are described as ‘generally less sustainable locations for new development than Rural Centres and Minor Rural Centres, having fewer services and facilities allowing only some of the basic day-to-day requirements for their residents to be met without the need to travel outside the village’. Fen Ditton is clearly one of the more sustainable villages and has the ability to take a suitable quantum of housing growth as part of the emerging Local Plan given its close proximity to Cambridge City. It is not considered that Fen Ditton’s current position in the existing settlement hierarchy reflects its status as a sustainable location for growth. Residents can easily access a wide variety of services by walking or cycling, despite having to leave the defined settlement boundary, including the Newmarket Road Park and Ride and the community facilities and food store that are proposed as part of the consented development of c.1300 dwellings north of Newmarket Road. The current policy (Policy S/10) permits ‘Residential development and redevelopment up to an indicative maximum scheme size of 8 dwellings…within the development frameworks of Group Villages’. While the Group Villages are limited, our client's Site (land to the east of Ditton Lane, Fen Ditton) could accommodate c.30 dwellings and significant biodiversity and landscaping benefits, although currently it is outside the development framework. This policy approach is considered to be unduly restrictive and the new Local Plan should allow for a greater level of development in sustainable locations, such as Fen Ditton, where sustainable transport opportunities and extensive facilities already exist. Given the potential identified need for 125 units of specialist accommodation by 2023 (within a 5 minute drive-time of Fen Ditton) as shown in the Specialist Accommodation Needs Assessment attached to these submissions, Fen Ditton is considered to be a suitable and sustainable location for the proposed development of c.30 single storey properties for those aged 55 and above as well as those with or supporting someone with a disability on land east of Ditton Lane, Fen Ditton. The “presumption in favour of sustainable development” is at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 (NPPF). The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Section 39(2)) establishes a legal requirement for plans to be prepared with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. Summary of Comments: The new Plan should be highly flexible towards development of jobs/homes on the edge of villages to be able support the significant development needs.