Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

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It is essential that the Greater Cambridge Local Plan exceeds the minimum annualised local housing need generated using the Government’s standard methodology calculation. The PPG is clear that the standard method for calculating local housing need identifies a minimum annual housing need figure. It does not produce a housing requirement1. Councils can (and should) exceed the minimum figures to deliver a marked improvement in the availability and variety of new homes at a price that is affordable to those who live and work in the area. Household projections, which form the baseline data informing the standard methodology calculation, are trend-based, meaning they provide the household levels and structures that would result if the assumptions based on previous demographic trends in the population and rates of household formation were to be realised in practice. The projections are constrained by historic supply and under delivery; and take no account of changing social preferences and factors such as interest rates and credit availability. Household projections do not and cannot predict future growth. The PPG recognises, therefore, that the standard methodology provides the minimum starting point in determining the number of homes needed in an area. It does not attempt to predict the impact that future government policies, changing economic circumstances or other factors might have on demographic behaviour. There will, therefore, be circumstances where actual housing need is much higher than the figure identified by the standard method. In addition to the above, the Government recognises that the standard methodology does not achieve its national target to deliver 300,000 homes a year on average by the mid-2020s let alone the significant number of new homes required to support the ambitions for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. When the revised NPPF and updated PPG were published in 2018 it was caveated with the commitment to keep the standard methodology under review in order to ensure that the outputs associated with the method are consistent with the Government’s clear aim to ensure that more homes are being built. Following the publication of the 2016 Household Projections in September 2018, the Government took the decision that, in the short term, the 2014based demographic baseline should be used for assessment of local housing need. A longer-term solution to the shortcomings embedded within the standard method is still awaited. Affordability remains a critical issue in Greater Cambridge and constrained housing delivery serves to compound rather than solve this issue. By planning for more homes, the Councils will enable a more responsive supply of homes that will help address the effects of increasing demand, such as declining affordability, relative to a housing supply that is less responsive. The above factors combined with economic ambitions for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc, which include the delivery of up to one million high-quality new homes by 2050 to address the severe housing affordability issues faced by many within the area, give rise to a clear and compelling reason to plan for significantly more homes than the minimum required by Government and to provide flexibility to support the growing economy. 1 PPG: Paragraph: 002 Reference ID: 2a-002-20180913 National planning policy recognises that the supply of large numbers of new homes can often best be achieved through planning for larger scale development, such as new settlements or significant extensions to existing villages and towns. Experience suggests that medium to larger scale developments that are well located and designed, and supported by the necessary infrastructure and facilities, can facilitate and/or contribute towards strategic infrastructure improvements required to support the sustainable delivery of new homes and jobs. M&M’s emerging proposals to the south of Papworth Everard illustrate a key opportunity that can deliver new homes in the short term; can contribute positively to local infrastructure needs; and are also capable of forming a component of a much wider strategic corridor of growth between Cambridge and St Neots along the A428. Working with developers, local communities and stakeholders, strategic policy-making authorities can identify suitable locations for such development to meet identified needs in a sustainable way.

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Greater Cambridge is already the subject of significant investment in terms of infrastructure delivery, much of which is helping to deliver the planned new settlements and urban extensions forming a large component of the adopted Local Plans. In addition to planned delivery, the area is the subject of future strategic infrastructure investment, including the East-West railway line connecting Cambridge and Bedford and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. Opportunities for a mass transit system initiative are already being developed by the Combined Authority via the draft Local Transport Plan, which would deliver a corridor for the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM). The physical composition of Greater Cambridge is changing fast, opening the door to numerous new opportunities for sustainable growth. A key objective of the proposed the Oxford-Cambridge expressway is to deliver strategic transformation: supporting the creation of an integrated corridor between Oxford and Cambridge, and enabling plans for infrastructure, homes and businesses. Over the coming years the A428 corridor will change radically, benefitting significantly from planned investment, including the new communities at Cambourne West and Bourn Airfield, the first phase of the Oxford-Cambridge expressway and the emergence of East West Rail, which includes a new station at Cambourne. Existing settlements along the A428 corridor, including Papworth Everard and Cambourne, will play a crucial role in delivering the growth ambitions for Greater Cambridge, delivering much needed high quality and affordable housing, jobs and infrastructure. There is further land available along the A428 corridor to deliver a long term, holistic and strategic approach to the delivery of jobs, investment, homes and infrastructure across Greater Cambridge to help the Arc stand as an economic asset of international standing. The joint declaration between Government and local partners in relation to the Oxford-Cambridge Arc recognises that strategic growth could include the development and expansion of both existing and new settlements. Emphasis is placed on the delivery of infrastructure; in particular transport and social infrastructure. It is critical, therefore, that the delivery of new homes and jobs is aligned with the delivery of infrastructure. There are several strategic transport improvements at varying stages of development that are of relevance to growth along the A428 corridor and the Site. These include: • Oxford to Cambridge Expressway: The project will support the creation of an integrated corridor between Oxford and Cambridge enabling plans for infrastructure, homes and businesses, helping to unlock new opportunities for economic growth and providing improved access to jobs and services. • A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements: The A428 scheme, lying to the south of the village, would see a new alignment for the A428 west of Caxton Gibbet with a two-lane dual- carriageway provided. The project will improve access to and from Greater Cambridge from St Neots, Bedford and the wider Strategic Highway Network, and will form a first phase of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. • East West Rail: In January 2020 The East West Rail Consortium announced the preferred central section alignment linking Bedford to Cambridge via a new railway station at Cambourne. • Cambourne to Cambridge public transport project: The provision of a new busway link between Cambourne and Cambridge is being developed by Greater Cambridge Partnership as a precursor to the wider Cambridge Autonomous Metro (CAM) proposals being developed by the Combined Authority.

In view of increasing education and innovation on the subject of sustainable travel and mobility, the Local Plan should further acknowledge that travel patterns are changing people are traveling less, and the way in which people are achieving mobility is evolving. Greater emphasis is now placed on shared mobility and the advent and increasing prevalence of e-bikes means users can travel over significant distances conveniently and efficiently by cycle. Conventional wisdom pertaining to acceptable travel distances by this mode should be challenged in the context of planning for future travel habits. The attitudes of younger generations are also evolving, with increasing awareness of environmental issues and a greater propensity to consider environmental impacts alongside considerations relating to personal convenience when making travel-choices. Moreover, as recognised by the Draft Local Transport Plan (DLTP) (para.2.28) advancements in technology will significantly change the way in which people travel in the future. While the exact nature of technological developments will likely involve a degree of uncertainty, it is important that decision makers do not overlook the significant influence that changing habits and technologies can have. The constraints of continuing to apply traditional assessment methods, such as using historic travel-patterns to forecast future behaviour, should be recognised and challenged. In this regard, M&M support the statement at paragraph 2.29 of the DLTP that “ … we must remain open - minded and forward looking regarding new technologies. Legislation and policy must be progressive and open to change”. The DLTP encourages active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport, before considering travel by motor vehicle. M&M full supports this concept in order to achieve a modal shift in travel habits consistent with national planning policy and guidance. In allocating sites for development, it is important that opportunities to significantly improve cycling and walking provision are fully embraced, in particular where this would significantly benefit existing rural communities. High quality pedestrian and cycle infrastructure in appropriate places can encourage active travel by those modes and may act as an inhibitor of optimal travel by private car. As set out above, development on Crow’s Nest Farm offers a unique opportunity to significantly improve the pedestrian and cycle links between Papworth Everard and Cambourne, linking into planned improvements between Cambourne and Cambridge and facilitating a step change in the availability and attractiveness of alternative transport methods.

Please refer to M&M’s responses to questions 36 and 37.

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For the reasons described in M&M’s response to question 47, the Local Plan should remain flexible and enable opportunities for development of both jobs and homes on the edge of villages.

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