Draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan

79 Design Codes: Object Design Codes We welcome reference to a design code for the area which will help to create a well-designed place that sits well within the landscape and responds to local heritage. These paragraphs could be further improved by specifically referencing the historic environment and local building materials etc. Suggested Change: Include reference to historic environment, building materials and local vernacular

107 Figure 23 Residential Densities We continue to have significant concerns that the densities shown on this Plan are simply too high for the Cambridge context. We also note that there seem to be some discrepancies between the densities in figure 2 and the building heights in figure 21. E.g. an area shown as 5-6 storeys also having a density of 350dph. It might be useful to have some comparative examples of densities in much the same way as you have done for heights and green spaces. Suggested Change: Include examples of comparative densities in Cambridge and elsewhere. Verify the mapping of figures 21 and 23 which would appear to show some discrepancies.

135 6.1 Jobs: Comment Employment Land Clearly Covid 19 is having a major impact upon employment patterns and places of work. It seems likely that some of the changes experienced during this time may lead to lasting impacts. It will be important that plans are flexible enough to cope with this changing circumstance and the changing nature of employment workspace requirements including within the home. Suggested Change: Ensure that plans are flexible enough to cope with the changing circumstance in relation to employment patterns and the changing nature of employment workspace requirements including within the home.

Policy omission – The Historic Environment: Object Historic Environment Policy omission Whilst we appreciate that the historic environment is addressed to some degree in the design and heights policies, it is our view that the Plan would benefit from a specific policy for the historic environment. We fully acknowledge that there are no designated heritage assets within the site boundary. There are however heritage assets in the vicinity and, given the scale of the proposed development, there is the potential for development of this area to impact on the setting of those heritage assets. Those include assets located within the historic core of Cambridge, the character and appearance of the central conservation area (and in particular the eastern arm that extends along the river corridor immediately to the south of this site) and the conservation area of Fen Ditton to the east of the site, including the wider setting of the many listed buildings that lie within that conservation area. We have also been exploring with you the potential for wider impacts on assets such as Anglesey Abbey. In addition, there will be non-designated heritage assets including (unknown) archaeology which will need to be addressed. While we appreciate the site is largely brownfield, there may still be archaeology to be explored and addressed within the site, We appreciate that this Plan sits under the Cambridge City and South Cambs Local Plans and to that end can draw on the historic environment policies therein. However, we consider that there is also a case for a specific historic environment policy to address this particular strategic site. The policy should cover nearby heritage assets and the need to conserve and where appropriate enhance these, discuss the wider setting of the historic city and should make clear the approach to archaeology within the site (we suggest further discussion with the County Council in this regard). Suggested Change: Include a policy for the Historic Environment including heritage assets, the wider setting of the historic city and approach to archaeology within the site.