Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The Local Plan should ensure it takes a positive and ambitious stance towards housing growth, as stated in Paragraph 119 of the NPPF, local planning authorities should take a proactive role in identifying and helping POT208/L0004 Land North of West Road, Gamlingay 3 | P a g e bring forward land that may be suitable for meeting development needs. There is a clear demand for additional housing in the Greater Cambridge area, especially with the forecasted increase in employment growth. The Local Plan must ensure there is a wide range and choice of residential dwellings available, including in rural and urban areas. Local Plan policy should be in line with Paragraph 59 of the NPPF which states that policy should support the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, ensuring that a sufficient amount and variety of land can come forward where it is needed. The ageing population of South Cambridge is expected a growth forecast between 2001-2021 of 95% for the 6074 age group and 108% for those over 75. The needs of the district are changing, and the new Local Plan must ensure it has catered for different sections of society. With an ageing population, there is a need for the deliverability of homes available for downsizing or ‘lifetime’ homes. As clarified in Paragraph 22 of the NPPF, strategic policies should look ahead over a minimum of a 15-year period from adoption, to anticipate and respond to long-term requirements and opportunities, including preparing for demographic changes in the population and catering to its needs. The local plan must prepare for the future growth of the Greater Cambridge Area by providing and allocating a sufficient supply of homes which in turn will deter unsustainable and unsuitable developments. The Greater Cambridge area has been affected by increasing house prices which coupled with growing demand for the past decade. By providing an ample supply of homes as well as the provision for affordable housing, it ensures residents do not have to leave their communities in search for more affordable accommodation. As part of the preparation for the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan, a Housing Needs Survey was published in 2017. The response for the survey was 22.4% which stated that Gamlingay should consider the housing demands of people moving to Gamlingay from the surrounding area and further afield in particular; older homeowners, families wanting to move to a village location to raise children and younger single persons households, or couples. Therefore, both in respect of the needs of the plan area and the localised needs of the village, it is important that an ambitious growth target is set for Gamlingay within the plan.

Yes, strongly agree

Yes, strongly agree. As stated within section 4.6.3 the Government’s ‘standard method’ calculation indicates a need for 1,800 homes per year or 40,900 within the plan period 2017-2040. However, CPIER (Cambridge and Peterborough Independent Economic Review) has highlighted that the recent job growth in Greater Cambridge is accelerating at a rate faster than expected. The popularity of the Cambridge sub-area to invest will be enhanced in no small part now that greater clarity has been provided on the nature and timescales of the infrastructure works proposed in response to the Government’s proposals for the Oxford Cambridge Arc. As a result, CPIER provide a rough expectation that 2,900 homes will be built per year, equating to 66,700 for the plan period. Therefore, it is clear that there will be a residual requirement to deliver 30,000 additional homes to meet job related needs over the plan period.

Section 4.6.3 reinforces the unaffordability of house prices within the Greater Cambridge area and thus reinforces the fact that the Local Plan must ensure appropriate and viable levels of affordable housing as well planning for a balance of tenure types, including affordable rent, shared ownership and community-led housing. The demand for housing within the Greater Cambridge has expanded and this has exacerbated the ‘affordability gap’ in respect of house prices across the plan area. The Local Plan must therefore prioritise the delivery of adequate affordable housing available throughout the Greater Cambridge area, including rural areas and villages. The Local Plan must also ensure that villages and rural areas in South Cambridgeshire remain sustainable and viable places to live. Although there has been an increase in the delivery of Rural Exception Sites to provide affordable housing in South Cambridgeshire, the ad hoc nature of these sites means that they cannot be relied upon as a secure means of supply. The Local Plan must therefore allocate more housing within villages in the South Cambridgeshire to ensure sustainability and a sufficient level of growth. South Cambridge now has an increased proportion of those over 65, with people living longer and less housing development in such areas, house prices are increasing. Local people are facing difficulties of affordability including buying or renting a home in their community. The Local Plan must act to counteract this and to do this it has two options: (i) increase residential developments in villages and rural areas, and (ii) introduce ageing homes which allow elderly people to remain in their community but be able to downsize to a more appropriate, accessible and affordable home. As clarified in the NPPF, paragraph 61 confirms that the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for those who require affordable housing, families with children, older people, service families, people who rent their homes and people wishing to commission or build their own homes.

Dispersal: Villages, Dispersal: New Settlements, Public Transport Corridors, Edge of Cambridge: Outside Green Belt, Edge of Cambridge: Green Belt, Densification of existing urban areas

Village growth is essential in the Greater Cambridge so that localised housing needs are met across the plan area and that the vitality and viability of villages, including local services can be secured. Importantly, villages, especially those which are situated away from the Green Belt are best placed to accommodate sites and that can be delivered quickly. As stated in paragraph 68 of the NPPF, small and medium sized sites can make an important contribution to meeting the housing requirement of an area and are often built-out relatively quickly. Nonetheless, I would stress, however, that any growth at villages should most appropriately be of scale that can bring upgrades to services and community facilities, including schools and healthcare. Residential development at Gamlingay would secure housing at Villages and Transport Corridors. Although new settlements can accommodate large residential growth, however as evidenced by development in Northstowe and Cambourne they can take a long time to deliver. It is important, therefore that growth in villages and public transport corridors should be implemented in a sustainable manner. In regard to residential development on the edge of Cambridge (outside Green Belt) and densification of existing urban areas, although these are sustainable areas, land is not readily available. This is especially with brownfield land as issues such as contamination could arise and delay development.

As mentioned throughout this consultation response, the Local Plan must promote growth and development within existing villages to ensure the sustainability and viability of the village. The Local Plan must recognise that promoting growth in villages should be prioritised over the development of new settlements. Major infrastructure and highway works would be required for the development of new settlements. However, by promoting appropriate development in existing villages, it results in being able to improve the existing infrastructure and services within the village. This would be in accordance with paragraph 78 of the NPPF which states that to promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities, it confirms that planning policies should identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where it will support local services. With a lack of ‘lifetime homes’ or downsizing homes available in villages, elderly people aren’t willing to relocate and therefore there is no alternative housing available for the community especially for young families. Therefore, the Local Plan must promote the development of villages and ensure policies are progressive in accompanying this.

Set against our responses to the question above, and our clear identification that the emerging plan must distribute a challenging housing requirement across a wide range of Greater Cambridge’s most sustainable settlements, we are pleased to reiterate the availability and suitability of our client’s site for a well-proportioned residential development in Gamlingay. Paragraph 78 of the NPPF is an important policy which promotes sustainable development in villages. Whilst there is an expectation that villages will need to grow, the greatest level of growth should be focussed on the most sustainable settlements, as mentioned above, Gamlingay will shortly be enhanced in this respect, especially with the EW rail line. Gamlingay Parish Council is currently progressing its neighbourhood plan, towards which we have submitted our client’s land to be considered for development. Within the draft plan, there are two housing allocations on the Key Policy Plan: an allocated Local Plan Site GAM1 and land south of West Road for Housing Policy GAM2. However, an application for mixed use development including 90 homes has been approved (Application Ref. S/2068/15/OL) and an application for reserved matters is currently out for consultation for GAM1 site. Along with this, an application for 29 dwellings has been approved (Application Ref. S/2367/16/OL) for the site at GAM2. Consequently, the two sites allocated for housing already already have permission prior to the neighbourhood plans adoption and will already be counted towards both the village and district’s housing land supply. Despite these permissions a clear housing need at what is a sustainable and popular village continues to exist. The Greater Cambridge Local Plan must therefore allocate additional appropriate sites for residential development in Gamlingay to ensure that opportunities are secured to situate development in sustainable locations across the plan area – this would include at Gamlingay. As such, our client’s land North of West Road/adjacent to Dennis Green, Gamlingay as identified on the map below represents an ideal opportunity for future residential development for approximately 10 dwellings.

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