Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

Introduction This paper has been prepared as an initial contribution to the debate on the future development of the Greater Cambridge area, defined as the area covered by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils. We welcome the inclusion amongst the main themes of climate change, biodiversity and green spaces, well-being and social inclusion, and great places. But we consider that these have been somewhat compartmentalized and that there are great opportunities available to ensure that the new Local Plan achieves ‘win-win’ futures by linking them up. The role of public rights of way and publicly-accessible open green space We have extremely valuable assets already in place in the form of our public rights of way (PROW) network. This network forms green corridors through and linking our city, villages, towns and countryside. The network is valuable for biodiversity and provides opportunities for non-motorised travel as well as leisure. The network also leads to our precious and inadequate areas of publicly-accessible green open space. There is much evidence to show that the public’s physical and mental health benefits greatly from walking, cycling etc – not to speak of the reduced call on health services. The Plan should have as a primary focus the development of new opportunities. We note that there has been a call for the identification of potential new ‘green spaces’ – but we would seek to extend this call so that specific attention is paid to identifying gaps in the PROW network so that these can be filled in. It should be a priority that our residents should be able to follow off-road links from where they live to extensive areas of public green space where children can run around and dogs can be exercised – on a much larger scale than a local playground can provide. Plan development work The Ramblers would like to see the following actions taken as part of the Plan development work: • Update and extend the detailed mapping carried out for the 2011 Cambridge City Open Spaces & Recreation Strategy. This approach should be carried out across the whole Plan area. It should be extended to include the public rights of way, so that these are clearly identified. It is critical that publicly-accessible open space is differentiated from other open space – either that which is wholly private, or which involves a fee to enter, such as the Wimpole Hall parkland. • Use of this audit to identify areas where there are major deficiencies, both in terms of PROW and publicly-accessible open space. Cambridgeshire Local Access Forum has already identified the major problem in terms of access between Cherry Hinton and both the Beechwoods and the Roman Road, giving access through to Wandlebury. The only access at present is along first Lime Kiln Hill, and then Worts Causeway, both without any pavement. The densely populated areas of north Cambridge have major barriers in accessing countryside. It would be great if a new Country Park could be provided north of the A14 and accessed off-road. • Ensure that the existing policy of providing Cambridge City with ‘green lungs’ is continued, especially if there is major housing development on Cambridge Airport. • Any new settlements developed should include a network of both publicly-accessible open spaces and public rights of way – not just permissive access and paths which might be removed with little notice. The approach adopted at Cambourne and proposed for the new Bourn Airfield development should be followed, ensuring that new local recreational routes are linked up with the wider PROW network. • Use S106 or CIL funding across a much wider area to help support major projects with a Plan-wide catchment. For example, instead of restricting expenditure to within a mile or so of new development, look at how such funding could support a major link, such as a bridge over the River Cam linking Waterbeach through to Wicken Fen, or a new Country Park

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Introduction This paper has been prepared as an initial contribution to the debate on the future development of the Greater Cambridge area, defined as the area covered by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils. We welcome the inclusion amongst the main themes of climate change, biodiversity and green spaces, well-being and social inclusion, and great places. But we consider that these have been somewhat compartmentalized and that there are great opportunities available to ensure that the new Local Plan achieves ‘win-win’ futures by linking them up. The role of public rights of way and publicly-accessible open green space We have extremely valuable assets already in place in the form of our public rights of way (PROW) network. This network forms green corridors through and linking our city, villages, towns and countryside. The network is valuable for biodiversity and provides opportunities for non-motorised travel as well as leisure. The network also leads to our precious and inadequate areas of publicly-accessible green open space. There is much evidence to show that the public’s physical and mental health benefits greatly from walking, cycling etc – not to speak of the reduced call on health services. The Plan should have as a primary focus the development of new opportunities. We note that there has been a call for the identification of potential new ‘green spaces’ – but we would seek to extend this call so that specific attention is paid to identifying gaps in the PROW network so that these can be filled in. It should be a priority that our residents should be able to follow off-road links from where they live to extensive areas of public green space where children can run around and dogs can be exercised – on a much larger scale than a local playground can provide. Plan development work The Ramblers would like to see the following actions taken as part of the Plan development work: • Update and extend the detailed mapping carried out for the 2011 Cambridge City Open Spaces & Recreation Strategy. This approach should be carried out across the whole Plan area. It should be extended to include the public rights of way, so that these are clearly identified. It is critical that publicly-accessible open space is differentiated from other open space – either that which is wholly private, or which involves a fee to enter, such as the Wimpole Hall parkland. • Use of this audit to identify areas where there are major deficiencies, both in terms of PROW and publicly-accessible open space. Cambridgeshire Local Access Forum has already identified the major problem in terms of access between Cherry Hinton and both the Beechwoods and the Roman Road, giving access through to Wandlebury. The only access at present is along first Lime Kiln Hill, and then Worts Causeway, both without any pavement. The densely populated areas of north Cambridge have major barriers in accessing countryside. It would be great if a new Country Park could be provided north of the A14 and accessed off-road. • Ensure that the existing policy of providing Cambridge City with ‘green lungs’ is continued, especially if there is major housing development on Cambridge Airport. • Any new settlements developed should include a network of both publicly-accessible open spaces and public rights of way – not just permissive access and paths which might be removed with little notice. The approach adopted at Cambourne and proposed for the new Bourn Airfield development should be followed, ensuring that new local recreational routes are linked up with the wider PROW network. • Use S106 or CIL funding across a much wider area to help support major projects with a Plan-wide catchment. For example, instead of restricting expenditure to within a mile or so of new development, look at how such funding could support a major link, such as a bridge over the River Cam linking Waterbeach through to Wicken Fen, or a new Country Park.

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