Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Thank you for consulting East Cambridgeshire District Council on your Local Plan at the Issues and Options stage. The online document is well laid out and makes good use of diagrams and illustrations. It is easy to navigate with sections and sub-sections clearly laid out. We note it is very much an open consultation asking questions, rather than making proposals at this stage. We welcome the long term strategy of the Local Plan, with its proposed end date of 2040. In terms of any cross-boundary strategic matters which might arise between our two areas, as a consequence of your emerging Local Plan, at this early stage we note your commentary at section 3.6.5. ECDC is content that this identifies the right broad areas for consideration, though is a little uncertain about what, if any, cross border implications there could be on ‘carbon offsetting and renewable energy generation’, which is the third of your identified issues. This implies that your plan may seek to include carbon offsetting or renewable energy generation beyond its boundaries? Clarification would be welcomed. Nevertheless, you correctly identify housing as a key strategic issue, and we note elsewhere a range of options for your growth strategy and also a question seeking views on going beyond the ‘standard method’ for establishing a housing target, potentially substantially increasing your target. As the Plan evolves, if it seeks to plan for anything significantly different than its housing need as established via the national standard method, then ECDC requests early engagement with you on this so that we can understand what implications, if any, such departure from national policy would have on the district of East Cambridgeshire. For the avoidance of doubt, at the present time, ECDC is not seeking to accommodate any unmet housing need from Greater Cambridge (should any such unmet need arise), nor ‘offload’ any need arising in East Cambridgeshire to Greater Cambridge. The other issue which may arise as you progress your Plan is whether any review of the Green Belt is to be considered. As you are aware, part of the outer boundary of the Green Belt falls within ECDC area. As such, any review of the Green Belt, especially its outer boundary, should include full involvement of ECDC. We have no further comments to make on your Local Plan at this stage. We understand this is an early stage in the preparation of the Local Plan and we would welcome to be kept informed of its progress.

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