Comment

It’s the final countdown: Preferred Options Greater Cambridge Local Plan Consultation

We are now not far away from the publication of the preferred options for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan (a joint plan between Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire) for full public consultation between 1 November and 13 December 2021.

The Consultation Document is presently being reviewed by the councils’ relevant committees prior to consultation.

As such, we have taken the opportunity to review the proposals and provide our six key observations on the consultation document as these proposals move towards the formal consultation process.

1. How much development?

The councils propose to meet the following objectively assessed needs for development in the Plan period 2020-2041:

• 58,500 jobs; and
• 44,400 homes, reflecting an annual objectively assessed need of 2,111 homes per year.

The housing figure above is based on the medium growth level from the councils’ Employment Land Economic Needs Study (2020). Encouragingly this figure is higher than the Government’s Standard Method. However, despite Greater Cambridge’s important strategic position in the Oxford - Cambridge Arc the council made the decision to reject the higher jobs and levels of homes associated with it, on the basis that in their view it is ‘not the most likely future scenario’.

Of the 44,400 new homes, 32,760 homes are accounted for through existing commitments, leaving 11,640 new homes (including a 10% buffer) to be allocated through the emerging Local Plan.

2.  Location of new development

The councils have stated that their top priority is to reduce carbon emissions and to that end provide jobs and homes in close proximity to one another and major public transport routes.

To provide for these new homes in the Plan period, the proposed development strategy for Greater Cambridge is to focus the majority of development on larger scale sites within and around the edge of Cambridge and at new settlements as follows:

• North East Cambridge – redevelopment of the existing waste water treatment works to deliver 8,350 new homes. 
• Cambridge East – development of the Marshalls airport site to deliver approximately 7,000 new homes.
• Intensification of Development at North West Cambridge – review of the site wide masterplan to deliver between 1,000 and 1,500 additional new homes.
• Expansion of Cambourne to around 2,000 new homes – The consultation document does not indicate in which direction Cambourne will expand to accommodate these additional new homes. However, the authorities still anticipate that this unidentified site can start delivering new homes from 2032.
• Continuing development at the new settlements of Northstowe, Waterbeach and Bourn – but at faster housing delivery rates so that more homes are provided by 2041.

Except for a handful of limited releases around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Babraham Research Campus and the villages of Great Shelford and Sawston, the councils do not propose to release any further land from the Green Belt around the edge of Cambridge itself. They are of the view that their housing needs alone do not provide the ‘exceptional circumstances’ required to do so.

3. Housing types

As required by the NPPF, the policy direction will seek to ensure that new homes address a diverse range with a mix of types and tenures reflecting the local housing need for different groups within the community.

Many of the requirements of the current Local Plans will be carried forward including provision of 40% affordable housing on major schemes; all homes to meet the nationally described space standards; a criteria based approach for provision of specialist housing and homes for older people; and that speculative student accommodation will only be supported where a named educational establishment is secured.

New entries to the Plan include a specific Build-to-Rent policy which will be welcomed by many. However, the specifics of the policy will draw some attention, especially that no more than 10% of the total housing on a mixed tenure development of 500 or more dwellings should be Build-to-Rent. A requirement for schemes of more than 20 homes to provide 5% of all new homes as custom and/or self-build plots is another, together with all new homes needing to meet the M4(2) Standard, which will see those schemes in South Cambridgeshire brought in line with the city council in this regard.

4.  Employment during the Plan period

The emerging Local Plan continues to support knowledge-based high technology clusters as the key to continued economic growth in Greater Cambridge, but recognising the need to provide a diversity of jobs and a diversity of business space.

The introduction of affordable and flexible workspace is a key priority, with support given to the protection of existing business space and encouragement for local employment hubs to promote remote working in more rural areas and support small businesses.

Proposals to enhance and grow existing employment areas include extensions to north east Cambridge; existing clusters at locations such as the Genome Campus and Biomedical Campus; with the new communities of Northstowe and Waterbeach identified for employment hubs.

An interesting decision taken within this emerging Local Plan is the councils not supporting large scale logistics development. The need for logistics space has grown exponentially over the last 18 months and this nationally-identified need cannot be disregarded within the district given the important strategic transport network that dissects it.

5.  Water supply – a significant constraint to growth?

A key infrastructure issue identified in the consultation document is the need for new strategic water supply infrastructure to provide for longer term needs, and to protect the integrity of the chalk aquifer south of Cambridge

The councils suggest that if it is concluded that it is not possible to demonstrate an adequate supply of water without unacceptable environmental harm to support development ahead of strategic water infrastructure being in place. There may, in their view, be a need for the Plan to include policies to phase delivery of development.

6.  Sustainability and biodiversity

Feedback to the Issues and Options Consultation in 2020 identified that climate change was respondents’ highest priority and that the on-going water stress experienced in the region was of concern.

This has resulted in an expected policy direction which will set highly ambitious energy and water efficiency standards that go beyond the requirements of Building Regulations. Such requirements could include identifying a specific space heating demand for domestic and non-domestic properties; that proposals should generate at least the same amount of renewable energy as they demand over the course of a year; and to require domestic properties to achieve a standard of 80 litres per person per day, compared with the 110 litres required by Building Regulations.

Finally, all new developments will be required to achieve a minimum 20% biodiversity net gain, 10% more than the minimum requirement set out in the emerging Environment Bill, but aligning with the aspiration of those authorities which make up the OxCam Arc.

These first proposals set out the councils’ outline of the Plan and they highlight that thematic policies are not fully formed. Some policy direction will be of concern. This is a valuable opportunity to participate in the Local Plan process. We are well placed to advise and assist with representations.

For more information please contact Jenny Page, Sophie Pain or Nichola Traverse-Healy.

6 October 2021