Draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan

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The project looks quite ambitious but if done correctly could be a good example of how things should be done in the future. Having said we’d prefer a modern redevelopment of the sewage works on part of the existing site, we have no major objections to the regeneration of the site and would hope it can evolve into the model for others to follow and which projects Cambridge as an innovative city. Hopefully the design of the layout and the buildings on the site will be attractive and award winning. This has the potential for being a showcase in much the same way as the Cambridge Science Park became when that was first opened. A very high number of dwellings is proposed in a relatively small area, and Milton Parish Council feels it is too high and too dense. How does a 13 storey building fit within Cambridge itself let alone this development? To serve this population the number of service vehicles alone will be huge. Deliveries to shops also need to be factored in. In a time of pandemic there seems to be too much provision for employment space, and the plans will need regular review, and each dwelling may need one or two home office spaces. The problem of single-occupation of lifts in a pandemic needs to be addressed too. It requires an existing strong public transport infrastructure to achieve its aims. We are very concerned that Milton village will suffer from overspill parking. The vision seems unlikely to achieve a balanced community. There is a big risk of AirBnb purchases, and short-term rentals or weeknight-only occupation of flats. Please learn all the lessons from CB1.

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Yes - but will the surrounding neighbourhoods be able to cope? We would like some improvements in the cycling infrastructure through Milton too.

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30,000 people is too many. Cowley Rd Centre has highest density but has the least services. Are there enough services in the Science Park? No secondary school is planned – we feel this should be needed if there is a balanced community. Sterility of the environment - it could just be transit and drop-off. Worries about County lines near the station.

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Will the housing on offer attract the right people for the jobs there? CSP attracts international employees but they may not want to live at NEC. People don't like Orchard Park because it is hard to create a community. Tower blocks with the factory next door – this is not a vision we support. Concern that the District Council are going through with this and not taking on board the views of the parish councils. There must be jobs for young people and unskilled people. Employers allocated housing is contrary to Cambridge Policy 45 (though supported at South Cambs). Some units have very little parking – tradesmen might need vans and more secure parking. Is it appropriate to make the build to rent homes all HMO? (We are not sure this is correct, but it was voiced.) A co-housing development as at K1 Orchard Park might help to clarify it is the co-housing part (K1).

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Need a faith building. More leisure facilities (gym, climbing walls and swimming pool) needed. Will these facilities be provided early enough? Do we need to set up a Community Council for the NEC, ready to support the new community? What can be learnt on governance from Trumpington Meadows or Orchard Park?

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Too high and too dense. Need to ensure sense of community and resident investment. Must be a pleasant place to live. Who wants to rely on a lift to get home? Must be really good building spec with high quality built-in floor to ceiling accessible storage cupboards. A good quality sound installation between dwellings. 6-7 storeys is more than enough. Do not support the density proposed. Flats need to be larger to allow for working from home. Maximum of 4 storeys by the railway is supported.

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There is not enough within the site. They are using land outside the development as 'accessible'. Need different types of open space. Need public open space - not just astroturf on a roof. Need spaces where you can throw a frisbee - not just playing fields. 8,000 homes will create a huge amount of footfall. Needs to be more informal open space, permanently accessible day and evening. We ask that an extension to Milton Country Park is supported, as the park is already suffering from overuse. Could they buy agricultural land (eg the land near Blackwell Traveller Park) as a Country Park to provide additional open space which will be sorely needed?

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There has been a huge loss of derelict wasteland (at the sidings and to come at the sewage works), which was brilliant for amphibians. How will they assess an increase of 10%? Hard to see how biodiversity will be increased. Which marker species will be used? Could the developer make a contribution to the development of the rowing lake? (not uniformly popular) There were historic problems with drainage and flooding in this area: recently the 1st public drain was very close to overtopping. Need more green space. Need an extension to Milton Country Park.

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If you are in affordable housing you need to have a livelihood and may need cars and vans for work. Will Civil Parking Enforcement be allowed in SCDC? Can we take active measures to enforce? Contributions to the revenue cost of wardens for 20 years? Not having through routes, and having car barns, is a good decision. Suggest using the Amsterdam model that you cannot buy a parking space until you have lived there for two years. Then you can buy, but the space costs as much as your apartment did. Please put in provision for e-bikes, battery charging and hire. Cycle routes in Milton were designed in FIRST - to ensure they have priority. Give priority to cycle routes (disappointing that the second planning application by the station moved the cycle route). Must have an excellent public transport network - to support travel choices from the start. We want to design this for people like us - but also for the elderly who may not be able to get around so easily. Milton is worried that everyone will park here. The access road to the aggregates depot must not go through residential areas.

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Need to plan for more severe floods as this site is either side of the first public drain which fills alarmingly in storm conditions. Insufficient detail about how they would reduce water usage by 15%. Nothing about rainwater capture and reuse. Demand on water supply already exceeds supply. Any site-wide renewable energy system needs to be inclusive of all tenures of housing. Need safe storage for e-bikes in cycle parks. Mentioned green roofs and solar panels - and sport, all on roofs. How? Do like shutters outside windows to keep places cool in the summer, and passive cooling, ventilation, heat exchange.