Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Edge of Cambridge: Green Belt, Dispersal: Villages, Public Transport Corridors, Densification of existing urban areas, Edge of Cambridge: Outside Green Belt, 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 option of releasing land on the edge of villages, including those within the Green Belt, is supported. It is considered that in reality the development strategy for emerging GCLP will be based on a combination of spatial distribution options, including development at the more sustainable villages. The scale of development that occurs at individual villages will depend on the level of services and facilities. Dry Drayton is an example of a settlement that could accommodate additional development, as explained in the call for sites submission.

Strongly agree. It is considered that the growth of villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and there is national guidance that supports this approach. It should be noted that some villages, including Dry Drayton, are also located in the Green Belt, and as such development options that include these locations is 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. The experience of new settlements and the redevelopment of previously developed land on the edge of Cambridge demonstrates that these options do not deliver policy compliant levels of affordable housing, and in the case of new settlements these types of development typically have much longer lead-in times than originally predicted. Therefore, releasing some land from the Green Belt around villages is a realistic option. Paragraph 78 seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services. The promoted development at land at Park Lane in Dry Drayton could support the existing services and facilities within the village, including the public house, village hall, and bus services. Paragraph 68 of the NPPF acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to the access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridge. Therefore, it is requested that small/medium sized sites such as land at Park Lane in Dry Drayton are allocated to meet the requirement for a mix of sites including those that are easily deliverable. Paragraph 102 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. 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. As set out in the response to Qu.37, the promoted development at land at park Lane in Dry Drayton is accessible by walking, cycling and public transport, and would be well-related to the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s proposed walking and cycling improvements on Madingley Road. As set out in the call for site submission, there are no significant constraints to development at land at Park Lane in Dry Drayton, and the site could be released from the Green Belt to meet the needs for housing, affordable housing and self-build plots.