Greater Cambridge Local Plan Issues & Options 2020

The Cambridgeshire Development Forum brings together organisations interested in the more effective delivery of development, with a focus on practical means of simplifying and accelerating development. We would be glad to offer further meetings which can complement other engagement with stakeholder communities. In addition, we are very aware that by the latter stages of this Plan period, the new home-owners will be drawn from amongst the young people presently in their late teens or early 20s. So, we propose that the Authorities commission an independent research organisation to recruit a representative panel of 18-25-year olds, who will be briefed on the issues and act as a ‘Citizen’s Assembly’ to give their perspectives on the issues as they emerge.

Nothing chosen

We regard it as important for this Plan to be strategic in nature, encompassing the measures required to meet the Climate Change challenges alongside our priorities in meeting the public’s expectations for growth, jobs, homes, health and well-being. That strategic focus should therefore extend to 2050, in line with national objectives, and in coordination with the Combined Authority’s non-statutory spatial strategy. Recognising the difficulty in extending the specific requirements, eg for a five-year supply of new homes, to 2050, we would advocate a distinction between the strategic principles-based plan through to 2050, and the detailed and more site-specific plans, which would extend to 2040. This would mean that the subsequent Plan updates would not reopen the principles of the Plan or its’ priorities, but would focus on zonal allocation and site selection; with a greater degree of predictability in the extended period. In this Plan, too, whilst we recognise that the availability of base data may require it to be based on 2017, we would look for the Plan to be explicit that it would not expect the policies to impact upon planning decisions prior to its’ submission for examination.

Nothing chosen

The cross-boundary issues are not yet sufficiently developed. The “corridors” of development are at least four-fold: Oxford-Cambridge; London-Stansted-Cambridge; Cambridge-Norwich; and Cambridge-Peterborough. And the relationships with neighbouring authorities must encompass the ring of market towns, and of potential new settlements, including in North Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough, East Cambs, Fenland and Suffolk. Given that the territory of each of these authorities will, to some extent, form part of the Travel To Work Area of the Cambridge sub-region, the ‘duty to cooperate’ must imply an active engagement with them as an integral aspect of this Plan-making process.

Nothing chosen

While we support all of the four ‘big themes’ Identified, we think we must add ‘Fostering a world-leading hi-tech cluster’. The latter is an essential attribute of the prospective demand for jobs and homes in our area; and it is an imperative for us as our contribution to U.K. economic competitiveness.

This Plan needs to focus on the impact of land use choices on Climate Change, and on the adaptation of new developments to facilitate radical changes in, for example, vehicle use and modal shift in transport, and in sources of energy. These decisions must enable us to meet employment and housing needs and to maximise our use of public transport or zero-carbon modes of transport. In the immediate future, this will require development to be concentrated in urban areas, and on public transport corridors. A failure to meet demand, especially for affordable housing, in proximity to employment will inevitably lead to more distance commuting and car use by families who would otherwise avoid it. Developments should also be designed to adapt to Climate Change- driven changes in, for example risks of extreme weather events; and to support future-proofing of mobility, employment and transport. There will be no unique answers in predicting this, so the Planning Authority needs to engage developers in a continuing debate about these issues and ensure the Local Plan is sufficiently flexible to be able to accommodate and adapt to the fast-paced evolution of technology. The Climate change impact of poorer energy performance housing will remain very substantial unless and until we can retro-fit energy efficiency in the existing housing stock. We would want to see policies which would give support to developments which will bring zero-carbon sources of energy to existing settlements by virtue of the investment in new homes or offices and industry. Similarly, if householders are able to adapt their homes to meet a zero-carbon standard, they should benefit from a permitted development right. The Government’s consultation on a Future Homes Standard is setting an ambitious timetable for improving the environmental performance of new homes; this should be reflected in Building Regulations and should not be duplicated through the Planning processes.

This Plan needs to focus on the impact of land use choices on Climate Change, and on the adaptation of new developments to facilitate radical changes in, for example, vehicle use and modal shift in transport, and in sources of energy. These decisions must enable us to meet employment and housing needs and to maximise our use of public transport or zero-carbon modes of transport. In the immediate future, this will require development to be concentrated in urban areas, and on public transport corridors. A failure to meet demand, especially for affordable housing, in proximity to employment will inevitably lead to more distance commuting and car use by families who would otherwise avoid it. Developments should also be designed to adapt to Climate Change- driven changes in, for example risks of extreme weather events; and to support future-proofing of mobility, employment and transport. There will be no unique answers in predicting this, so the Planning Authority needs to engage developers in a continuing debate about these issues and ensure the Local Plan is sufficiently flexible to be able to accommodate and adapt to the fast-paced evolution of technology. The Climate change impact of poorer energy performance housing will remain very substantial unless and until we can retro-fit energy efficiency in the existing housing stock. We would want to see policies which would give support to developments which will bring zero-carbon sources of energy to existing settlements by virtue of the investment in new homes or offices and industry. Similarly, if householders are able to adapt their homes to meet a zero-carbon standard, they should benefit from a permitted development right. The Government’s consultation on a Future Homes Standard is setting an ambitious timetable for improving the environmental performance of new homes; this should be reflected in Building Regulations and should not be duplicated through the Planning processes.

Nothing chosen

This Plan needs to focus on the impact of land use choices on Climate Change, and on the adaptation of new developments to facilitate radical changes in, for example, vehicle use and modal shift in transport, and in sources of energy. These decisions must enable us to meet employment and housing needs and to maximise our use of public transport or zero-carbon modes of transport. In the immediate future, this will require development to be concentrated in urban areas, and on public transport corridors. A failure to meet demand, especially for affordable housing, in proximity to employment will inevitably lead to more distance commuting and car use by families who would otherwise avoid it. Developments should also be designed to adapt to Climate Change- driven changes in, for example risks of extreme weather events; and to support future-proofing of mobility, employment and transport. There will be no unique answers in predicting this, so the Planning Authority needs to engage developers in a continuing debate about these issues and ensure the Local Plan is sufficiently flexible to be able to accommodate and adapt to the fast-paced evolution of technology. The Climate change impact of poorer energy performance housing will remain very substantial unless and until we can retro-fit energy efficiency in the existing housing stock. We would want to see policies which would give support to developments which will bring zero-carbon sources of energy to existing settlements by virtue of the investment in new homes or offices and industry. Similarly, if householders are able to adapt their homes to meet a zero-carbon standard, they should benefit from a permitted development right. The Government’s consultation on a Future Homes Standard is setting an ambitious timetable for improving the environmental performance of new homes; this should be reflected in Building Regulations and should not be duplicated through the Planning processes.

This Plan needs to focus on the impact of land use choices on Climate Change, and on the adaptation of new developments to facilitate radical changes in, for example, vehicle use and modal shift in transport, and in sources of energy. These decisions must enable us to meet employment and housing needs and to maximise our use of public transport or zero-carbon modes of transport. In the immediate future, this will require development to be concentrated in urban areas, and on public transport corridors. A failure to meet demand, especially for affordable housing, in proximity to employment will inevitably lead to more distance commuting and car use by families who would otherwise avoid it. Developments should also be designed to adapt to Climate Change- driven changes in, for example risks of extreme weather events; and to support future-proofing of mobility, employment and transport. There will be no unique answers in predicting this, so the Planning Authority needs to engage developers in a continuing debate about these issues and ensure the Local Plan is sufficiently flexible to be able to accommodate and adapt to the fast-paced evolution of technology. The Climate change impact of poorer energy performance housing will remain very substantial unless and until we can retro-fit energy efficiency in the existing housing stock. We would want to see policies which would give support to developments which will bring zero-carbon sources of energy to existing settlements by virtue of the investment in new homes or offices and industry. Similarly, if householders are able to adapt their homes to meet a zero-carbon standard, they should benefit from a permitted development right. The Government’s consultation on a Future Homes Standard is setting an ambitious timetable for improving the environmental performance of new homes; this should be reflected in Building Regulations and should not be duplicated through the Planning processes.

To improve our environment within a generation and leave it in a better state than we found it will mean that in this area we contribute fully to the creation of a more resilient landscape, with enhanced tree cover, richer in plants and wildlife. This will not happen simply by protecting existing sites, but by identifying where our biodiversity assets and opportunities are; and to prioritise them in land-use planning. This is putting a planning process into a new paradigm, one in which we take an active view of the contribution which areas can make to an overall environmental gain, then to consider the development potential of nominated sites, with a requirement in each case for a net gain from the development proposed. We would welcome this Plan initiating a Cambridge -based Nature Recovery Network, drawing upon examples like the West of England Nature Recovery Network. In doing so the local plan should provide a clear framework and mechanism for new development to be able to contribute to any such District level initiative.

To improve our environment within a generation and leave it in a better state than we found it will mean that in this area we contribute fully to the creation of a more resilient landscape, with enhanced tree cover, richer in plants and wildlife. This will not happen simply by protecting existing sites, but by identifying where our biodiversity assets and opportunities are; and to prioritise them in land-use planning. This is putting a planning process into a new paradigm, one in which we take an active view of the contribution which areas can make to an overall environmental gain, then to consider the development potential of nominated sites, with a requirement in each case for a net gain from the development proposed. We would welcome this Plan initiating a Cambridge -based Nature Recovery Network, drawing upon examples like the West of England Nature Recovery Network. In doing so the local plan should provide a clear framework and mechanism for new development to be able to contribute to any such District level initiative.