Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Response to Question 2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Mill Lane Site in Sawston was promoted to the call for sites process in March 2019. A number of technical documents have subsequently been prepared for the site and are submitted with these representations to the Issues & Options consultation including a Vision Document; Green Belt Impact Assessment and Highways Assessment.

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Natural Cambridgeshire’s Developing with Nature Toolkit seeks to achieve a net gain in biodiversity through new development. It is agreed that development, and in particular large-scale development with sufficient land available, can deliver significant biodiversity enhancements. It is suggested that in deciding sites to allocate for development the emerging GCLP assesses not only whether the potential impacts on protected species and habitats can be mitigated but also whether development can deliver biodiversity enhancements. The Mill Lane Site, Sawston provides a number of opportunities to deliver biodiversity enhancements as part of the development proposal for the site. The site’s existing ecological features have been identified and have informed the development of the Vision Document illustrating how the proposed residential development of the site could be delivered. This includes the central tree belt and walking path which runs through the site which contains a mixture of mature hardwood and softwood specimens. It is proposed that this key feature would be retained and utilised to provide both ecological enhancements and amenity opportunities for future and surrounding occupiers. Additionally, existing vegetation along the site’s boundaries would be retained and bolstered, particularly along the site’s northern and western boundaries, providing further opportunities for ecological enhancements. The site’s drainage strategy will provide further opportunities to create a green-blue network across the site.

It is considered that meeting housing and affordable housing needs is part of the well-being and social inclusion theme because housing falls within the social objective of sustainable development (as set out in Paragraph 8 of the NPPF). There are substantial affordability issues in Greater Cambridge associated with the high cost of buying and renting housing, and those that cannot afford to live in Cambridge or South Cambridgeshire close to employment opportunities having to endure longer commutes. Paragraph 8 and Chapter 8 of the NPPF identifies the other factors that relate to the wellbeing and social inclusion theme, which are about creating well-designed and safe developments, providing access to services and facilities, and providing open space. It is suggested that to achieve ‘good growth’ the emerging GCLP will need to allocate suitable sites that deliver housing and affordable housing, are accessible to services and facilities, include open space and recreation facilities. The Mill Lane Site, Sawston is owned by Northwest Biotherapeutics (NW Bio), a biotechnology company developing novel immune therapies to treat cancer. NW Bio’s DCVax®-L immune therapy for Glioblastoma brain cancer is in the NIHR's Priority Portfolio, and was the first product to receive PIM designation as a Promising Innovative Medicine from the Ministry of Health. NW Bio currently has offices in London but is planning to develop a head office in Sawston, where they are working together with Advent BioServices to develop the Vision Centre on the former Spicers site. Advent is one of only a small number of companies in the world that specializes in technology/process development and advanced manufacturing for cell and tissue therapies for cancer and other diseases. The Vision Centre is located just across the A1301 (a 5 or 10 minute walk) from the proposed residential site on Mill Lane. The Vision Centre is an advanced manufacturing facility that will produce cell therapy products for the UK and for export to the European Union and worldwide. The development of the Vision Centre will involve the creation of up to 450 new high-value jobs across a wide range of skill levels in phases over the next few years. A key factor which will affect the pace at which personnel can be hired for these jobs will be the availability of housing nearby to the Vision Centre. A proportion of Vision Centre employees will have to live close to the site because producing and managing living cell products requires unpredictable and varied hours (e.g. when tissues are received from hospitals for processing at any time of the day or evening). The jobs at the Vision Centre will be for a range of employees, from school leavers through to PhD level, with a private apprenticeship programme also under development. This will result in increased employment and learning opportunities within Sawston and South Cambridgeshire as a whole which will have benefits for social inclusion. The ability of other employees of the Vision Centre to live in close proximity to the site will also have clear benefits for their health and well-being by avoiding the need for significant commuting and promoting opportunities for active forms of travel such as walking and cycling. The residential development of the Mill Lane Site, Sawston would also provide additional housing that is much needed for nearby surrounding employment sites, including existing sites to the east and north of Sawston; Huawei’s emerging business and research campus at the former Spicers site; Granta Park; Cambridge Biomedical Campus; and the expanding Wellcome Genome Campus. The Mill Lane Site is also in a location with extensive existing transport access by walking, cycling, bus and train and the Site has good accessibility (a 15 minute or so walk or a short cycle ride) to existing services and facilities within Sawston including nurseries, schools, doctors, dentists, pharmacy, opticians, sports centre, pubs, convenience stores, hairdressers and beauticians. Having all of these services and facilities within close proximity of the Site will allow future occupants to access these services using sustainable travel modes and will assist the development, and its occupants, in integrating into the wider Sawston community.

Section 4.3.3 of the Issues & Options consultation document identifies the factors that are relevant to the creation of safe and inclusive communities. As set out in the response to Question 16, there are substantial affordability issues in Greater Cambridge associated with the high cost of buying and renting housing, and those that cannot afford to live in Cambridge or South Cambridgeshire close to employment opportunities having to endure longer commuting. It is considered that the emerging GCLP should include a development strategy that seeks to meet housing and affordable housing needs and locate housing closer to employment opportunities to reduce in-commuting. Such longer commutes adversely affect quality of life and also require more transport, exacerbating sustainability issues. Increasing the amount of housing nearby to employment opportunities can help address all of these issues and enable a wider range of residents, from students to young professionals, families and seniors, to obtain housing in their local communities. In addition, increasing housing closer to employment, by allowing new housing in locations that are adjacent natural extensions of existing neighbourhoods and business districts, will help enhance that streetscape activity in a physically continuous way that will helps to enhance security.

Paragraph 91 of the NPPF seeks to deliver healthy, inclusive and safe places, and identifies a number of approaches to support healthy lifestyles. It promotes social interaction through mixed-use developments, strong neighbourhood centres, street layouts that include pedestrian and cycle connections, and active street frontages for example. It enables and supports healthy lifestyles, by providing green infrastructure, sports facilities, local shops, access to healthier food, allotments, and layouts that encourage walking and cycling for example. NHS England Healthy Towns Initiatives identified ten principles to deliver healthy places, which relate to the provision of health services, meeting local and community health needs, and development design matters. In terms of design matters it is suggested that compact neighbourhoods, active travel, healthy eating opportunities, play and leisure facilities would contribute towards the delivery of healthy places. The promoted development at the Mill Lane Site in Sawston would be consistent with guidance and initiatives to support healthy lifestyles as it would it include open space, recreation areas and walking routes. It is also located just a 10 or 15 minute walk or short cycle ride into Sawston for shopping, entertainment and other activities, a 5 or 10 minute walk or short cycle ride to the large business and research campus under development on the former Spicers site, and a modest cycle ride into Cambridge itself.

One way for improvements to air quality to be made is through the selection process for potential allocations in the emerging GCLP encouraging travel by sustainable modes of transport. The location of the Mill Lane Site, Sawston, just across the A1301 from the Vision Centre provides significant opportunities for employees to access the Site via sustainable travel modes including walking and cycling. This is also true of Huawei’s emerging business and research campus on the former Spicers site. This submission is supported by a Transport Technical Note which confirms that there are a wide range of day-to-day local services and facilities that would be available to future residents of the Mill Lane Site, Sawston which can be accessed via sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport. This note also emphasises that there are several large employment sites located in the surrounding area including the Wellcome Genome Campus, Granta Park and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which are within a comfortable cycling distance for future residents of the site. Additionally, both the Vision Centre and Huawei’s emerging business and research campus are nearby, just across the A1301, within a 5 or 10 minute walk or a few minutes’ cycle ride from the Mill Lane Site. In addition to the walking and cycling opportunities identified above the, submitted Transport Technical Note also highlights extensive existing public transport by both bus stops and train available to the Mill Lane Site today, as well as opportunities for even more public transport nearby which is currently in the planning process. The Mill Lane Site is located in close proximity to existing bus stops which provide regular services to a range of destinations including Cambridge. Whittlesford Parkway Railway Station and Shelford Railway Station are both less than 4km away and are within a reasonable cycling distance, and can be reached via Sustrans National Cycle Route. Train services from Whittlesford Parkway Station serve destinations including Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street. Allocating sites such as the Mill Lane Site, Sawston will therefore provide opportunities to reduce emissions to air through private car use and will result in additional positive benefits that accrue from promoting more active lifestyles.

Very important

Very important. Continued economic growth is vital for the next Local Plan in order ensuring that Greater Cambridge continues to be recognised as a centre for research and high technology employment, with the significant and varied employment opportunities that this creates for residents. The Mill Lane Site, Sawston is owned by Northwest Biotherapeutics (NW Bio), a biotechnology company developing novel immune therapies to treat cancer. NW Bio’s DCVax®-L immune therapy for Glioblastoma brain cancer is in the NIHR's Priority Portfolio and was the first product to receive PIM designation as a Promising Innovative Medicine by the Ministry of Health. NW Bio currently has offices in London but is planning to develop a head office in Sawston, where they are working together with Advent BioServices to develop the Vision Centre on the former Spicers site. Advent is one of only a small number of companies in the world that specializes in technology/process development and advanced manufacturing for cell and tissue therapies for cancer and other diseases. The Vision Centre is located across the A1301 (a 5 or 10 minute walk) from the proposed residential site on Mill Lane. The Vision Centre is an advanced manufacturing facility that will produce cell therapy products for the UK and for export to the European Union and worldwide. The development of the Vision Centre will involve the creation of up to 450 new high-value jobs across a wide range of skill levels in phases over the next few years. A key factor which will affect the pace at which personnel can be hired for these jobs will be the availability of housing nearby to the Vision Centre. A proportion of Vision Centre employees will have to live close to the site because producing and managing living cell products requires unpredictable and varied hours (e.g. when tissues are received from hospitals for processing at any time of the day or evening). The jobs at the Vision Centre will be for a range of employees, from school leavers through to PhD level, with a private apprenticeship programme also under development. This will result in increased employment and learning opportunities within Sawston and South Cambridgeshire as a whole which will have benefits for social inclusion. As a result of these requirements NW Bio are promoting the Mill Lane Site, Sawston for the development of up to 225 residential dwellings, some of which could provide the essential housing for key employees of the Vision Centre. The need that NW Bio have identified for adequate nearby housing for personnel who must be “on call” for the Vision Centre (similar to doctors being “on call” for a hospital), and the fact that this need will be a significant factor in the pace at which NW Bio and Advent BioServices can hire personnel and grow the operations in the Vision Centre, clearly highlight the intrinsic links that there are between economic and housing growth in Greater Cambridge.

The Cambridge area is world-renown for its contribution to science, particularly life sciences. There has been an explosion in recent years in research on Advanced Therapies, including cellular and gene therapies, in part because the UK government has identified these types of Advanced Therapies – and the research and advanced manufacturing that produces them – as a national priority. However, there are little or no facilities in the Cambridge area for technology development / process development, which are responsible for turning this research into usable therapies. Additionally, there are insufficient manufacturing facilities for making clinical grade products that can be used for patients. These facilities are, therefore, among the most needed types of business and industrial space in the area and bring with them large numbers of high-value jobs for a wide range of skill levels. Advanced Therapies and personalized medicines have grown at a staggering rate in recent years. During the 1-year span from 2018-2019 alone, the number of Advanced Therapy clinical trials ongoing in the UK increased 37%, according to a report produced by the UK BioIndustry Association and Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. These “next-generation” medicinal advancements are changing the treatment paradigm for patients. In many types of cancer, for example, rather than rely on status quo chemotherapies – which are often toxic, and/or ineffective – to treat symptoms, new capabilities unlocked by cellular and gene therapies now exist that help identify underlying disease causes, alter the course of disease progression, and even provide cures for patients. Patients require new-and-improved therapies for a host of diseases, but neither companies nor academic institutions have sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet demand for these highly specialised and labour-intensive products. Licensed advanced manufacturing facilities in the UK responded to a 2018 survey conducted by the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult, and national average booked capacity for “cleanroom” manufacturing suites was reported at 81%, with 80% utility regularly recognized as “full” capacity. There simply isn’t enough space to manufacture these medicines. To accommodate this growth need, sector employment has outstripped expectations, doubling over the last year, and a 2019 Skills Demand Report (also from the Catapult) projects that headcount will again double over the next 5 years. Cellular and gene therapies are driving the next wave of medical innovation. The advanced manufacturing facilities capable of generating these treatments for patients, however, are in short supply – certainly in the UK, and also worldwide – and continued industry expansion is necessary so that UK patients retain their access to the best available medical treatments. The moment our systems no longer embrace medical innovation coincides with patients being forced to look beyond our borders for the latest treatments, which is a scenario we can and should avoid.

The emerging GCLP will need to be consistent with national guidance on meeting housing needs. Paragraph 59 of the NPPF confirms the Government’s objective to significantly boost the supply of housing, and to achieve this by ensuring that a sufficient amount and variety of land for housing is identified. Paragraph 60 expects the standard method to be used to determine the minimum number of houses needed. Paragraph 61 expects the size, type and tenure of housing needs of the community to be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for example those with an affordable housing need, students, renters and self-builders. Section Id.2a of the Planning Practice Guidance explains how housing and economic needs assessments should be undertaken, including how to calculate local housing needs using the standard method. Paragraph 010 of Id.2a makes it clear that the standard method is the minimum starting point for determining local housing needs and acknowledges that there may be circumstances where actual housing need is higher than the standard method indicates. As set out in Paragraph 010 the circumstances where increases to housing need that exceed past trends are as follows: there is a growth strategy in place to promote and facilitate additional growth; strategic infrastructure improvements are likely to lead to an increase in the number of homes needed locally; and, an authority has agreed to accommodate unmet housing needs from a neighbouring area. The first two circumstances are relevant to Greater Cambridge. Paragraph 024 of Id.2a explains how the need for affordable housing is calculated, and it is suggested that the overall housing target should be increased where it could help deliver the required number of affordable homes. There is an urgent need to improve the affordability of housing and to boost affordable housing delivery in Greater Cambridge. Therefore, the emerging GCLP should use the standard method to calculate the minimum local housing need, and then make appropriate increases taking into account the growth strategies and strategic infrastructure improvements identified for Greater Cambridge, and a further adjustment to ensure affordable housing needs are met. It is also important that the GCLP includes requirements for all type of new homes to meet the needs of first time buyers, those with expanding families and also those who are looking to downsize. GCLP should therefore prioritise the allocation of sites that can include a range of dwelling types and sizes to meet the diverse needs of Greater Cambridge’s residents. The Mill Lane Site, Sawston, offers great flexibility for such a mix of housing types.

Yes, somewhat agree

Yes. As set out in the response to Question 31, upward adjustments to the minimum figure derived from the standard method are required to take into account growth strategies, strategic infrastructure improvements and housing affordability in Greater Cambridgeshire. The National Infrastructure Commission, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership acknowledge and support the economic growth potential of the Greater Cambridge area, and consider that there is a need to substantially increase housing delivery in order to support that economic growth and address the significant housing affordability issues that exist.