Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Land north of Common Lane, Sawston, CB22 3HW

2.4

Site 47804 map

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. It should be acknowledged that net biodiversity gains would be more appropriately provided on alternative or existing sites rather than within a development site. It is suggested that the emerging GCLP should also include a policy mechanism that allows for net biodiversity gains to be delivered on alternative sites. The promoted development at land north of Common Lane in Sawston would retain any ecological features on site and seek to provide ecological enhancements. It should be noted that there is sufficient space within the site to include those ecological enhancement measures on site in conjunction with development.

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 north of Common Lane in Sawston would include housing and affordable housing, open space and other green infrastructure. The promoted development would support the existing services and facilities within Sawston.

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 north of Common Lane in Sawston 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 by walking and cycling to the services and facilities within Sawston, including the outdoor sport and recreation areas. The Greater Cambridge Partnership is promoting a greenway and cycle routes within and through Sawston, which would provide cycle connections to Granta Park, Babraham Research Campus, Stapleford and Great Shelford, Cambridge and planned public transport routes. The site is accessible to the good range of services and facilities provided in Sawston, including the supermarkets and other small convenience stores, and health services, 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, somewhat 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 north of Common Lane in Swaston would deliver housing and affordable housing, and provide a mix of dwelling types and sizes. The promoted development would provide affordable housing to meet local needs of the village; in 2018 there was an identified need for 169 affordable dwellings in Sawston for those with a local connection to the village – see South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2018).

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. Sawston is defined as a Rural Centre in the settlement hierarchy for South Cambridgeshire. The village contains a variety of convenience stores, a post office, a bank, library, primary schools, secondary school, health services including doctors and dentist, public houses and restaurants, and numerous employment sites and other local businesses. Sawston is on numerous bus routes, providing services towards Cambridge. The Greater Cambridge Partnership is promoting a new public transport route from Haverhill and Cambridge with a stop at Sawston, and a new greenway and cycle routes through the village providing connections to neighbouring settlements, employment opportunities and railway stations. Therefore, the promoted development at land north of Common Lane in Sawston would be accessible to the services and facilities in the village by a range of modes of transport. For all these reasons it is requested that the promoted development 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. The land north of Common Lane in Sawston is currently occupied by a riding school, comprising stable buildings, ancillary buildings, floodlit all weather outdoor arenas, paddocks and riding areas, and areas of hardstanding. The parts of the site that contain buildings, the outdoor riding arenas, and areas of hardstanding would fall within the definition of previously developed land. Sawston is very well served by public transport, and is would also be well connected by future cycle and greenway routes. The site at land north of Common Lane in Sawston is currently located within the Green Belt, and as set out above it is used as a riding school. The promoted development would seek to retain and enhance the existing trees and hedgerows at the site boundary, and would include additional planting within the development. The approach to landscaping at the site would seek to reduce impacts on landscape character and important views of the site, and to enhance the setting of the village. It is noted that the A1301 and a railway line are located to the west of Sawston, and as such development at the land off Common Lane would not lead to the merging of villages. 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 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 north of Common Lane in Sawston should be released from the Green Belt in emerging GCLP to meet needs for housing and affordable housing.