Draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan

Agree

It mainly sounds like a good vision to built this area around, however I would like to see more focus on providing homes and services for those in lower-income brackets. There have been many new developments in Greater Cambridge and too few have been accessible for young people and others with lower incomes.

Mostly yes

The Chisholm Trail link between North Cambridge and Newmarket Road needs to be completed to make cycling/walking connections viable; I also think that these connections should be reassessed once the Trail has been open for a while to see how it is used and how it might change connections needed most. Also, there need to be clear connections to the Milton Park and Ride as well as simply the general busway.

Mostly yes

It is good to have these centres where they are based on the make up of the area between business and residential. I think that it is rather reductive, however, to designate only one area for anything other than just local shops - it would be good to have an arts centre somewhere else as well, or a restaurant, or something. Each centre does not need all of the elements at the District Centre, but they should have more interest than just basic shops. Perhaps there could be a bar in the Station Approach, a restaurant in the Science Park, and an arts centre on Cowley Road.

Mostly yes

It seems rather unfortunate to have the whole west side of the development business with not even a small area of residential space!

Mostly yes

As the plan is for 8,000 new homes I think that more than one community centre is required. Community-bookable spaces are required for community groups to grow, but there are only 7 evenings of each week and that would quickly be filled up with a group a night in just one community centre.

Mostly yes

Will there be any simple 2/3 story residential houses? Or will all houses be blocks of flats? I think it would be good to have more 2-story homes if possible.

Mostly yes

This looks wonderful. I would only say that the Science Park end of the area should also have the same commitment to levels of green (like the "small neighbourhood greens")

Yes, completely

Looks great! My only concern is, who will be in charge of maintaining these new areas of biodiversity, especially green roofs? Will it be on the homeowners or the council?

Mostly yes

Some (I would say many) streets in the area should be pedestrian/cyclist only. On all streets, pedestrian and cycling routes should be clearly delineated, and treated as separately as pavements and roads would be (rather than the treatment of these areas in the historical city centre). I also think there needs to be some back-up plan for the 0.5 car parking spaces - will there be an application process to buying a house that you aren't allowed a car? Where will the cars go that people will inevitably have? Though a good idea in theory, I am concerned that this could have a negative impact on the surrounding areas as people try to park their cars somewhere nearby if there isn't parking in the area itself.

Mostly yes

Will there be new energy produced in the area? Solar panels or geothermal or (sorry, I don't know the name) panels in streets that gain kinetic energy from being walked on? What will the BREEAM rating be for residential buildings? (Having read the City Council's carbon neutral plans I assume that all of this and far more has been thought of!)