Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The land at xx was promoted to the call for sites process in March 2019 on behalf of xx. The representations to the Issues & Options consultation document will refer to that promoted site where relevant. 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 promoted development at land off xx will seek to retain any ecological features on site and include ecological enhancement measures. It should be possible for most of the hedgerows and trees at the site boundary to be retained within the promoted development, and a landscape strategy will be prepared which would provide benefits for biodiversity.

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 commuting. 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 promoted development at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn would include housing, affordable housing, self-build plots, open space and other green infrastructure, and recreation areas. The site is accessible to Fulbourn Recreation Ground, which provides a range of facilities.

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.

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. It is considered that the promoted development at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn would be consistent with guidance and initiatives to support healthy lifestyles. The promoted development would include open space and recreation areas. The site is accessible to the services and facilities within Fulbourn by walking and cycling. There are existing designated cycle routes within Fulbourn. The Greater Cambridge Partnership has proposed a greenway from Fulbourn which would provide an improved walking a cycling route into Cambridge; the promoted site is in close proximity of the proposed greenway route. The site is accessible to the good range of services and facilities provided in Fulbourn, including the supermarkets and other small convenience stores, and doctor’s surgery and pharmacy, which are all related to supporting healthy lifestyles.

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 adjustments 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.

Yes, strongly 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.

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. The promoted development at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn includes housing, affordable housing, and self-build plots.

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. Fulbourn is defined as a Rural Centre in the settlement hierarchy. Fulbourn contains a good range of services and facilities, reflecting its Rural Centre status. It has a primary school, doctor’s surgery, pharmacy, library, post office, supermarket and other small convenience stores, village hall, and outdoor recreation and play facilities. There are regular bus services to Cambridge, Haverhill and Newmarket from Fulbourn, and there is a cycle route between Fulbourn and Cambridge and a greenway is proposed by Greater Cambridge Partnership between these locations. For all these reasons it is requested that the promoted site at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn 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; the promoted development would meet this requirement.

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 consider whether to review Green Belt boundaries through the emerging GCLP. It is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to release land from the Green Belt, 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 is not straightforward 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. Fulbourn is well served by public transport, and it is also well connected to existing cycle routes and future greenways. The site at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn is currently located within the Green Belt and comprises agricultural land and a public bridleway. The promoted development would include a significant amount of green infrastructure and strategic landscaping to avoid impacts on landscape character and important views, and to enhance the setting of the village. It is noted that there are no villages between the land off Balsham Road and the M11 corridor to the south. As such, it is 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. Therefore, it is considered that the site makes a limited contribution to the purposes for including land within the Green Belt, and in any event a large part of the site would remain open as part of a green infrastructure and landscape strategy for the promoted development. It is requested that the land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn should be released from the Green Belt in emerging GCLP to meet needs for housing, affordable housing and self-build plots. The promoted development would provide affordable housing to meet local needs of the village; in 2018 there was an identified need for 83 affordable dwellings in Fulbourn for those with a local connection to the village – see South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2018).

Edge of Cambridge: Green Belt, Public Transport Corridors, Dispersal: Villages, Edge of Cambridge: Outside Green Belt, Densification of existing urban areas, Dispersal: New Settlements

There are limited opportunities and 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, and 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 development at land off Balsham Road in Fulbourn would be consistent with both of these approaches.