Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Strongly agree. Particularly where these villages are well-connected via transport corridors. 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. Papworth Everard is defined as a Minor Rural Centre in South Cambridgeshire District Council's current settlement hierarchy and therefore sits towards the top of the Council’s settlement hierarchy. Papworth Everard contains an extensive range of services and facilities including a convenience store, hairdressers, fish and chip shop, coffee shop and a restaurant, a primary school, children’s nurseries, post office, library, doctor’s surgery/health centre, veterinary surgery, churches and village hall. Development has also commenced to deliver a bakery, microbrewery and Public House on the former print works site, south of Church Lane. Accessibility to these services from the site is illustrated on the submitted drawings produced by MLM. As will be noted – see Connections Plan, the site is very well connected to existing services and facilities within the village. Papworth Hospital has previously been the main employer in the village although the facilities and functions of the hospital have now been relocated. The former hospital site is however positively promoted within the adopted plan for future employment generating uses. Papworth Business Park, located at the southern edge of the village, is the main employment area. The services, facilities and employment opportunities which exist within Papworth Everard are all reflective of its designation as a Minor Rural Centre. Where people do need to travel out of the village, access to an established bus service which provides connections from the village to Cambourne, St Neots, Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives. The main bus route is provided by the X3 bus. While this service currently provides an hourly service, there are gaps in the timetable during the AM and PM peak hour. As a result it is very difficult for residents of Papworth to utilise this as a commuter service. It was therefore agreed with the operator during the consideration of the previous applications on the site that the development would deliver enhancements to the service to provide additional services in the AM and PM peak hours. In addition to the above, Cambridgeshire County Council are seeking to deliver a cycle and pedestrian link from Papworth to Cambourne. It is the County Council’s intention to deliver a 2m wide cycle path along the eastern side of the A1198 to provide a link between the existing cycle path located north of the A1198/A428 junction, and the existing footpath network at the southern point of Papworth. The County’s programme for delivering this connection are not known at this time, it was however agreed that the previous applications would contribute towards the delivery of this link. When delivered, it will provide a direct cycle link to Cambourne and all of the facilities provided within it. Papworth Everard and land to the east of the Ridgeway and Old Pinewood Way, Papworth Everard are sustainably located to accommodate much needed new housing development which will also ensure the existing facilities and services within the village are supported. This accords with paragraph 78 of the NPPF which 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. The proposed development would also deliver a number of benefits including significant areas of public open space, green infrastructure and biodiversity enhancements. The protected trees within the site would be retained and significant new woodland planting would take place. The proposals would also include for the benefits that were associated with the previous proposal for the site including: reserve land for a pre-school facility; contributions towards primary and secondary school provision; library contribution; contribution for improvements to Papworth Surgery; enhancements to off-site public footpaths; enhancements to bus services to deliver an additional service in the peak hour; contributions towards cycle and pedestrian links between Papworth Everard and Cambourne.