Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

4.40 Biodiversity enhancement is supported by green infrastructure which can include parks and recreation grounds as well as wild spaces such as woodland, scrubland and grassland. Water bodies also strongly contribute to the natural environment and biodiversity, and can bring wider site benefits such as surface water management. For these reasons integrated blue and green infrastructure provided with new development is a key mechanism for improving the natural environmental whilst addressing key climate change resilience issues such as flood risk. The Local Plan should recognise development which contributes to green and blue infrastructure and encourage biodiversity net gain where feasible.

4.41 As outlined within our Question 12 response, green infrastructure provides benefits to the local area and development proposals, including recreation, climate mitigation and climate resilience. Naturally, incorporating policies which include requirements to contribute to green infrastructure and achieve a biodiversity net gain will improve the green space network. Furthermore sites which provide recreational green space such as parks and woodland should be protected, prioritising development on sites which are not currently used recreationally by the local community. 4.42 Newlands Developments recognises the importance of green spaces, and the value they bring to local residents and building users. Newlands developments’ incorporate green space and tree planting wherever possible to create a relaxing and natural amenity space for building users to enjoy.

4.43 A flexible approach should be adopted when requiring new development to achieve biodiversity net gain. Policy which includes requirements to install particular features such as green roof and green wall should be avoided, as this can be to the detriment of other sustainability measures such as solar PVs. Furthermore, green roofs and walls may not be appropriate for certain building types such as typical logistics uses where the additional loading requirements from substrate and water retention can risk the viability of the project. 4.44 A holistic approach should be undertaken, encouraging biodiversity solutions which provide additional benefits such as recreation, climate change mitigation and climate change resilience. Green roofs will likely contribute to the embodied carbon of a development due to the requirement of additional loading and reinforcement required to the building structure, which may outweigh the ecological benefits. Tree and hedgerow planting however, are likely to be more effective at absorbing CO2 and providing habitat for a broader range of faunal species. 4.45 The same applies to living walls, which although give a strong, green aesthetic to a building, are likely to require recirculatory water systems which may increase the embodied carbon and operational energy of the project. Furthermore, green walls are unlikely to support many faunal species, and will mainly be limited to insects and foraging birds. 4.46 It is therefore recommended that a biodiversity net gain is required for new development, which should be calculated using a nationally recognised method such as the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric. The developer and design team should be responsible for identifying an ecological outcome which is most appropriate for the site to achieve the net gain. 4.47 It must be recognised by the Local Plan that biodiversity net gain is not always possible to achieve on all sites. Where biodiversity offsetting is required, a transparent system is required so that developers have a clear understanding of costs and outcomes that do not impair development viability. Opportunities for the Local Plan to align local carbon offsetting requirements (e.g. tree planting) with biodiversity offsetting should also be pursued to maximise efficiencies and opportunities between these initiatives. 4.48 Newlands Developments is committed to achieving ecological enhancements on all sites.

Yes, somewhat agree

4.49 Newlands Developments agrees with Greater Cambridge that there should be an aim to increase tree cover across the area. Tree planting is key to mitigating the rate of climate change whilst also providing seasonal shading to buildings to mitigate the risk of summertime overheating. 4.50 Opportunities to align local carbon offsetting requirements (e.g. tree planting) with biodiversity offsetting should also be pursued to maximise efficiencies and opportunities between these initiatives. 4.51 Newlands Developments is committed to enhancing ecology including trees on all our development site where feasible.

4.52 Good growth is essential to closing the gap in wealth across Greater Cambridge. The Local Plan can help the county achieve good growth by encouraging development which provides local employment and is accessible to the current population, particularly those living in rural areas who may have limited access to public transport. 4.53 The office and logistics sector provides a steady source of job growth and the sector offers a range of well-paid employment opportunities across the occupational spectrum and the local economy is in need of additional jobs so as to keep pace with population growth and close the wealth gap. The jobs available are likely to consist of a variety of employment roles including professional, technical and managerial, skilled and elementary occupations. 4.54 Good growth also means the decoupling of carbon emissions and climate change impact from new development to which Newlands is committed to deliver UK decarbonisation goals.

4.55 To achieve inclusive communities, the Local Plan must encourage development of a wide range of jobs which provide different options for work to suit the varied needs of residents. The Local Plan should consider locating employment sites where there is opportunity to promote social inclusion through the provision of a sustainable public transport network that is affordable and accessible for all. 4.56 The office and logistics sectors provide a steady source of job growth and the sector offers a range of well-paid employment opportunities across the occupational spectrum. The jobs available are likely to consist of a variety of employment roles including professional, technical and managerial, skilled and elementary occupations. The Local Plan should also ensure that sites are designed for safe access for pedestrians and cyclists.

4.57 Employment development is able to support healthy lifestyles by ensuring the design of buildings and landscaping meets the needs of employees and provides opportunities for active movement. Additionally, providing employment in itself reduces poverty and health issues caused by this and so encouraging high quality employment within an accessible location should be a priority of the Local Plan. 4.58 The Local Plan should encourage development to provide opportunities for employees to be active during breaks and travel to work. This should be flexible, but could include provision of changing rooms and showers to encourage cyclists and/or, provision of green spaces with a designated walking or jogging route.

4.59 Improvement in local air quality can be achieved by considering where development can be located to reduce trips taken by private petrol and diesel cars. Electric vehicle (EV) charging points should be encouraged within the Local Plan to promote and facilitate the use of electric vehicles. Additionally, secure and suitable cycle parking should also be mandatory for all new development where users are likely to travel to site by this mode of transport. 4.60 Transport is not the only cause of poor air quality; the effects of building services must also be considered on the local environment. All-electric building strategies should be encouraged in favour of gas or biomass solutions which incorporate combustion on site and therefore negatively affect local air quality. Newlands’ developments are moving towards all-electric strategies which do not negatively contribute to local air quality. 4.61 Policies for tree planting and green infrastructure are likely to support air quality goals by facilitating removal and dispersion of pollutants which limits public exposure and improves health outcomes.

Nothing chosen

4.62 It is considered that continuing economic growth for the next Local Plan is essential for achieving housing growth and cementing the joint District’s economic prospects for the next 20 years, especially in light of on-going economic uncertainty. 4.63 Both Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire are situated at the heart of major national and regional economic corridor initiatives, including the Oxford to Cambridge arc; the London to Stansted to Cambridge innovation corridor and the Cambridge to Norwich technology corridor, alongside major road investment in improvements to the A14. 4.64 The joint authorities therefore have the opportunity to be at the forefront of spearheading and leading economic growth for both the region and nationally and not just for the proposed plan period up to 2040 but beyond for generations to come. 4.65 The new Local Plan provides the opportunity to provide the range and type of jobs and homes required to endorse these aims. 4.66 Furthermore, and as emphasised in the Employment Land Needs Report, the proposed masterplan for Brickyard Farm alone is capable of delivering an estimated additional £160.9 million annual uplift in productivity during the construction phases and an estimated £184.7 million annual contribution to economic productivity with the area once fully occupied, generating approximately £10 million business rate revenue. 4.67 Alongside this significant investment and uplift in productivity, an estimated 3,260 direct full time equivalent jobs are likely to be created across a range of skills sets.

4.68 The Market Assessment Report prepared by Bidwells and Employment Land Needs Report prepared by Turley Economics and the (Appendices 3 and 4) inform and support the promotion of the site and masterplan which aims to provide a mixture of floorspace types to accommodate market demand and attract a diverse range of employers, especially in Research and Development supply chain and manufacturing sectors given A14 linkage between Felixstowe to the Midlands. 4.69 This proposed provision is borne out from national and regional evidence highlighted in the aforementioned assessments suggesting that provision of suitable Specification A floorspace at the larger size required to accommodate demand for industrial and warehousing/logistics operators has fallen to just 40,000 sq. m. 4.70 For the Cambridge region (i.e. within a 15 mile radius) there is only circa 7,900 sq. m of available Specification A new build space. 4.71 Alongside this, vacancy rates have been falling consistently over the past decade from highs of over 20% to the current national average of 6.65%. 4.72 Moreover and at local level, there is only 12 months of supply of adequate floorspace at current levels. 4.73 Given the shortage, occupiers are increasingly seeking build-to-suit units, with major international and national operators actively seeking locational bases within the Cambridge region. These include DHL, Amazon, Hotel Chocolate, Wincanton and Hermes to name a few. 4.74 Moreover, it is important to note the importance of providing suitable space for existing businesses in the area that may be looking to expand and grow. As highlighted above, there is little supply of new build floor space for them to do so. The provision of a purpose built cluster at the Brickyard Farm site will assist in accommodate these requirements.