Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Yes, strongly agree

Yes- Strongly agree, please see supporting cover letter for justification.

It is important to provide a range of housing types across the shared planning area. Greater Cambridge should seek to provide market housing, affordable housing (social rent and intermediate) and self-build housing, and direct the development towards sustainable locations with includes edge of village locations that can support a viable development opportunity.

Highly flexible

Highly Flexible- Please see supporting cover letter for justification

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

The above ranking considers that the densification of existing urban areas and edge of Cambridge: Outside Green Belt present opportunities for sustainable development, with a potential lesser impact as located outside of the Green Belt. It should however be questioned that solely focusing development to these locations as a strategy, will raise questions over the realistic delivery of the housing numbers required within the Greater Cambridge Area. We have ranked Dispersal: Villages as third on the list, as this option provides a credible and sustainable option that will assist with delivering housing across the area and through the new Local Plan period. There are many opportunities that exist with edge of village sites located outside of the Green Belt, such as the site south of Fowlmere, which will have lesser impact on the openness than sites located in the Green Belt and deliver much needed housing. Public transport corridors are ranked just below Dispersal: Villages. This form of development acknowledges the focus of development through the Oxford and Cambridge Arc, which the new Local Plan will assist with delivering and supporting over the Plan period. Edge of Cambridge: Green Belt and New Settlements are ranked lowest as this form of development will have most impact on openness within the protected areas of Green Belt around Cambridge and New Settlements will require the provision of a significant level of new infrastructure to support the development. The delivery of infrastructure projects is often subject to delays that can prevent development coming forward within a timely manner, impacting on delivering the Greater Cambridge housing targets.

We consider that growing the existing villages in Greater Cambridge should form an important part of the Local Plan strategy, and promotes an overarching mix of sustainable development that will maximise the potential to deliver the Local Plans vision and objectives. We consider that growing the existing villages in Greater Cambridge should form an important part of the Local Plan strategy, and promotes an overarching mix of sustainable development that will maximise the potential to deliver the Local Plans vision and objectives. Page | 5 Encouraging growth in the villages can contribute to sustaining the vitality and viability of existing facilities and infrastructure in the villages. Encouraging the growth of villages will ensure that a range of housing is available across Greater Cambridge to meet the varying housing demand. The growth of the villages could allow for increased investment infrastructure generated from the CIL and S106 income from approved development schemes. The impact that development proposals can have on a village’s character are recognised as a challenge, but it is considered that through good design, any potential impact on the character of villages can be mitigated. Finally, it is noted that there are a number of the larger villages are located in the Green Belt; whereas the land we are promoting to the south of Fowlmere is located outside of the Green Belt, with a lesser impact on openness if developed than sites and land located within the Green Belt. We therefore consider that directing village growth to those villages, such as Fowlmere, with land outside of the Green Belt, should be considered for development prior to sites within the Green Belt.

It is recognised that the Greater Cambridge Local Plan will seek housing growth to be directed to urban areas, such as Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire’s larger rural centres. The urban locations can, however, have their own constraints on land availability and limit the potential nature and type of housing. The opportunity exists within the villages, such as Fowlmere, to assist with providing a range of housing types, including starter homes, affordable housing and family housing. There is also the promotion and need for self-build developments, which development on the edge of villages could assist with providing. Through directing this form of development to the villages within the authority this would promoted inward investment into the villages, support the existing community through providing options for people to remain in the village. The approach therefore needs to be balanced, so that villages are not forgotten about and where there is investment into villages, a mix of tenure of housing needs should be provided within the villages to support and enhance the sustainable credentials of the village. The larger rural settlements are already subject to significant housing growth and therefore there is scope to consider allocating residential development across the smaller settlements, such as Fowlmere. Medium scale development in the villages will ensure that a range of housing types in a range of different settlement across the area are delivered, catering for various different demands in the area and maintaining communities in a sustainable way.