Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Strongly disagree

The Big Themes seek to guide the Plans in its role to deliver housing, employment and infrastructure to support the needs of the population in a sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner; however, they risk separating the themes from the role of the Plan. In order to make a “sound” Plan the Big Themes must include economics at the very least if not housing, employment and infrastructure as these are inextricably linked to the issues of climate change, bio-diversity, wellbeing and great places already identified. The Big Themes must recognise that if the Plan is to rely on funding from the private sector to deliver its growth agenda then economic viability must form part of the Big Themes.

Nothing chosen

The push towards energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions is the role of building regulations. The Local Plan should focus on the delivery of growth in the most sustainable location and support investment in infrastructure links and open space that reduce the need to commute by car and help the population build healthy activities such as cycling and walking into their everyday routines. Drainage strategies already seek to ensure that a 40% uplift in capacity is built into new systems to account for anticipated change and this may well change again in the future.

The issue of achieving net bio-diversity gain is a difficult one as there is no focus or value given to one species or habitat over another. An invasive non-native species could be given as much weight as a single species native hedgerow. Policy should seek to provide opportunities for bio-diversity in the form of habitat provision but a simple requirement to deliver a net bio-diversity gain will encourage developers to simply clear a site pre-planning, having the opposite effect, while meeting the wording of the policy. There needs to be a pragmatic view; what species are you trying to promote and why? For example, it would be dangerous to encourage additional birds to occupy sites around the airport so a more focussed rather than broad brush approach is needed. Any policy should seek to encourage bio-diversity enhancements rather than a simple net increase in species.

By locating development close to employment and service provision and investing heavily in open spaces, dedicated, lit, cycle and pedestrian routes as well as public transport the Plan can help to promote wellbeing and social inclusion.

The key to developing safe and inclusive communities is to ensure that they are located close to services, facilities and employment with safe pedestrian and cycle links. Such provision encourages people to live and work in a location, building a sense of ownership, community and collective responsibility and self-regulation of the space. Any linkages should be attractive, lit and overlooked to avoid opportunities for crime or the fear of crime. To ensure that a diverse community is achieved the Plan will need to make provision for a sensible mix of housing in terms of style and size as well as affordability along with good connectivity to sustainable modes of transport. Investment in services and infrastructure as well as the sustainable location of development is central to creating safe and inclusive communities

In order to promote healthy lifestyles, the Plan needs to create the opportunities for healthy and ultimately more sustainable choices to be made and form part of the populations everyday routine. The provision of usable open space within development should continue but greater emphasis should be placed on the creation of sustainable safe modes of transport, including pedestrian and cycle linkages from new development to the existing settlement on safe dedicated routes. Locating sufficient housing within walking and cycling distance of employment opportunities is fundamental to supporting healthy lifestyles by providing opportunities to travel other than by the private car. Employment developments should be required to provide cycle parking, showering and changing facilities to encourage alternative sustainable mode for transport in order to support healthy lifestyle choices. The proposed allocation for five dwellings on the land off Comberton Road, Toft is within easy walking and cycling distance of employment, shopping and education facilities in Toft and Comberton via a dedicated pedestrian walkway and represents a sustainable extension to the village.

In order to improve air quality, it will be necessary to encourage development in sustainable location close to existing public transport, services and job opportunities to reduce the need for people to travel by private car as part of their everyday routine. Significant investment in infrastructure would be required to help deliver viable alternative modes of transport between areas of population and employment. Development on the edge of existing settlements for housing and employment will help increase the sustainability of existing towns and villages by reducing the need to commute for work or move away from family and friends to find affordable housing. The development of the land at Comberton Road, Toft enjoys good pedestrian linkages to the services and facilities in both Comberton and Toft reducing the need to use the private car.

Good design is best achieved through planning applications. Recognition must be given to the quality of the landscape planting, materials and details both of the buildings and the public realm when creating new developments.

Very important

Economic growth is extremely important to the Local Plan given the current political climate and economic uncertainty. Economic growth provides the means by which people can improve their quality of life and helps them to make more sustainable choices be that in terms of energy, food or transport decisions.

A mixture of B1, B2 and B8 industrial spaces are required as well as small incubator units be they for industrial, research and development or office based businesses to provide opportunity for small business to start and hopefully grow in to larger premises.