Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Paragraph 61 of NPPF 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. It is noted that the existing and planned new settlements in South Cambridgeshire and some of the strategic sites are not delivering policy compliant levels of affordable housing. As such, it is considered that emerging GCLP should seek to allocate sites which are capable of delivering policy compliant levels of affordable housing, as well as a mix of housing types for diverse residents with a arrange of ages, family or household sizes. The Mill Lane Site, Sawston would deliver up to 225 new homes and is capable of delivering a variety of house types including apartments, terraces, semi-detached and detached dwellings in order to meet the broadest need.

Paragraph 103 of the NPPF seeks to ensure that development is located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes can be maximised. Therefore, the site selection process for potential allocations in emerging CGLP will be an important part of increasing travel by sustainable modes of transport. The location of the Mill Lane Site, Sawston just across the A1301 (a 5 or 10 minute walk) 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 the Huawei’s emerging business and research campus at 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 Mill Lane Site. Additionally, the Site’s location just across the A1301 from the Vision Centre and Huawei’s emerging business and research campus is within a short 5 or 10 minute walking distance and a few minutes cycling distance. In addition to the walking and cycling opportunities identified above the submitted Transport Technical Note also highlights the extensive existing public transport access from the Mill Lane Site, Sawston. The Site is located in close proximity to 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 within an acceptable cycling distance and can be reached via Sustrans National Cycle Route. Train services from Whittlesford Parkway Station and Shelford Station serve destinations including Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street. Shelford Railway Station is also located approximately 3.3km to the north of the site and is also within an acceptable cycling distance and provides access to the same services that are Available from Whittlesford Parkway Station. In addition, Cambridge Railway Station could be accessed from the Mill Lane Site via cycle and provides additional services to London Kings Cross, Ely, Norwich and Stansted Airport. It is for these reasons that Mill Lane Site in Sawston should be allocated in the emerging GCLP. In addition, it is noted that Paragraph 138 of the NPPF suggests that sites which are accessible by public transport should be one of the preferred locations to be released from the Green Belt, where it is has been assessed that a release is necessary. In light of the extensive existing public transport availability for the Mill Lane Site, Sawston, the promoted development would meet the policy requirement set out by the NPPF.

Yes

Yes. Paragraph 136 of the NPPF allows Green Belt boundaries to be altered through the plan-making process provided exceptional circumstances exist, and those exceptional circumstances should be based on evidence and justified. Therefore, it is appropriate to review Green Belt boundaries through the emerging GCLP. It is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to release land from the Green Belt within Greater Cambridge, which are related to the significant need for housing and affordable housing in Greater Cambridge and the need to support economic growth. Paragraph 137 requires plan-making authorities to examine all other reasonable options to meet identified development needs before considering whether exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries i.e. make as much use of previously developed land, increase the density of development, and consider whether development needs could be accommodated in neighbouring areas. In the case of Cambridge, increasing densities and reusing previously developed land are difficult and may be inappropriate because of heritage assets and the difficulty of finding alternative sites for existing uses. Paragraph 138 requires any review of Green Belt boundaries to consider the need to promote sustainable patterns of development, and that where the release of land from the Green Belt is necessary that priority is given to previously developed land or sites that are well-served by public transport. As described above under Question 37, it is considered that Sawston is well served by existing public transport and future transport infrastructure improvements. The submitted Transport Technical Note also highlights the extensive existing public transport access from the Mill Lane Site, Sawston. The Site is located in close proximity to 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 within an acceptable cycling distance and can be reached via Sustrans National Cycle Route. Train services from Whittlesford Parkway Station and Shelford Station serve destinations including Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street. Shelford Railway Station is also located approximately 3.3km to the north of the site and is also within an acceptable cycling distance and provides access to the same services that are Available from Whittlesford Parkway Station. In addition, Cambridge Railway Station could be accessed from the Mill Lane Site via cycle and provides additional services to London Kings Cross, Ely, Norwich and Stansted Airport. It is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to justify the release of the Mill Land Site, Sawston from the Green Belt, which are related to the significant need for housing and affordable housing in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire and supporting economic growth. The need for additional housing to support employees of the Vision Centre, and other nearby employment sites, also adds significant weight to these exceptional circumstances. Additionally, as a result of the expansion of Sawston, the site’s surroundings have changed, and this area of Green Belt is now out of place with the adjacent areas of housing and commercial areas of Sawston. It is also considered that development at the site would have no adverse impact on the compactness or setting of Cambridge and it would not lead to the merging of villages, and as such, the site makes a limited contribution to the purpose of including land within the Green Belt. The Landscape and Visual Overview & Green Belt Assessment confirms that the site adjoins the existing settlement boundary to the immediate east and south east. The existing Green Belt boundary in this vicinity could be redefined along the site’s northern and western boundaries, and given the A1301 road to the west, this could form a more robust and long term defensible Green Belt boundary.

Nothing chosen

It is noted that the existing defined settlement boundaries for most villages in South Cambridgeshire have remained largely unchanged since the Local Plan 2004; although sites were allocated within and on the edge of some villages in the Site Specific Allocations DPD in 2010 and for the adopted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018. It is very likely that most of the development opportunities within existing village boundaries have been taken up by now. It is also likely that heritage assets within villages, such as conservation areas and listed buildings, will constrain development opportunities. It is not clear whether the Councils have undertaken an assessment of the capacity of villages to accommodate additional development; it is likely that such an assessment would demonstrate that the capacity is limited. This is certainly considered to be so in the case of Sawston. Therefore, it is considered that the emerging GCLP should seek to allocate suitable sites on the edge of existing sustainable villages, in conjunction with a general policy that supports development within existing framework boundaries but without specifying any size limits. This suggested approach would ensure that sufficient land is allocated for development at villages to support services and facilities and ensure that sufficient physical and community infrastructure can be planned, and would provide some flexibility about development within village boundaries so that the form and scale of development reflects site specific characteristics. In a Sawston context, such an approach would also ensure sufficient growth is delivered to meet the existing and future housing need and specifically affordable housing need. In 2018 there was an identified need for 169 affordable dwellings in Sawston for those with a local connection to the village – see South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2018). If future growth is constrained, this unmet affordable housing need will remain unmet. In addition, further new dwellings are needed to help accommodate new jobs being created in Sawston, including up to 450 jobs at the Vision Centre on the former Spicers site in Sawston and an additional large number of jobs in Huawei’s business and research campus on the former Spicers site. The Mill Lane Site, on the edge of Sawston Village, is located just a short walk or cycle ride from the former Spicers site, across the A1301. Allocation and ultimate development of mixed housing on this particular site would enable jobs and homes to exist in close proximity to each other, thereby minimizing commute times and road congestion and promoting sustainable well-being.

Strongly agree. It should be noted that some villages, including Sawston, are also located in the Green Belt and are on transport corridors with extensive public transport available and, as such, development options that include these locations are also supported. As set out in the response to Question 39, national guidance allows the release of land from the Green Belt through the plan-making process, and that exceptional circumstances exist to release land which is related to the significant need for housing and affordable housing in Greater Cambridge and the need to support economic growth. Therefore, it is considered that land on the edge of villages and within the Green Belt, such as Sawston, should also be considered as options to meet development needs. Paragraph 102 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of planmaking. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 103 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable. This submission is supported by a Transport Technical Note which confirmed 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 Mill Lane Site. Additionally, the Site’s location just across the A1301 from the Vision Centre and Huawei’s emerging business and research campus is within a short 5 or 10 minute walking distance and a few minutes cycling distance. In addition to the walking and cycling opportunities identified above the submitted Transport Technical Note also highlights the extensive existing public transport access from the Mill Lane Site, Sawston. The Site is located in close proximity to 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 within an acceptable cycling distance and can be reached via Sustrans National Cycle Route. Train services from Whittlesford Parkway Station and Shelford Station serve destinations including Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street. Shelford Railway Station is also located approximately 3.3km to the north of the site and is also within an acceptable cycling distance and provides access to the same services that are Available from Whittlesford Parkway Station. In addition, Cambridge Railway Station could be accessed from the Mill Lane Site via cycle and provides additional services to London Kings Cross, Ely, Norwich and Stansted Airport. Therefore, Sawston is the focus for a number of proposed and potential transport infrastructure projects, and development along transport corridors should also be considered as an option to meet development needs. Paragraph 78 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges the role that housing has in enhancing or maintaining the vitality of rural communities and supporting local services. As previously set out, the Mill Lane Site, Sawston is owned by NW Bio who are working together with Advent BioServies to develop the Vision Centre which is just across the A1301 (about 5 or 10 minutes’ walk) from the proposed residential site, on the Mill Lane Site. 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 site is also in a location with excellent public transport access and good accessibility by a 10 or 15 minute walk or short cycle ride into Sawston to existing services and facilities 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.

No choices made

Response to Question 42 There are limited opportunities and significant constraints to development within the urban area of Cambridge. There are limited opportunities for development on the edge of Cambridge which are not in the Green Belt and those opportunities require the relocation of existing uses; new settlements are complex and typically do not provide policy compliant levels of affordable housing. The options of focussing development in the Green Belt and along public transport corridors are preferred. The promoted residential development at the Mill Lane Site in Sawston would be consistent with both of these approaches.