2. Getting involved
2.1 Involving our communities
The next Local Plan will directly affect the lives of everyone in the area, and we want to make sure we have an active and open public conversation about how it should take shape. This means involving all parts of our community - individuals, groups, businesses, academic institutions, and stakeholders of all kinds. We are committed to genuinely listening and learning from you all and ensuring that we explain the plan-making process clearly to you, so you understand how and why decisions are made.
We particularly want to involve groups who usually don't get heard in the planning process – young people, people from diverse backgrounds, people from less prosperous parts of the area, and those who usually find it difficult to get involved for different reasons.
Therefore, we are making the First Conversation material fully accessible online in a digital-first format, as well as in a printed version, but also taking the conversation to you in a number of different ways:
- Taking a 'roadshow' to places around the area including shopping centres, schools, community centres and other places where we can reach out to as many people as possible, making it easy for you to spend a few minutes finding out more and sharing your views.
- Using social media and video to encourage young people in particular to get involved.
- Spreading the word via local TV, radio, Council magazines, and news media
- Working with leaders from our diverse communities to encourage greater participation.
- Working with other parts of the Councils to encourage everyone to get involved.
The plan making process involves several stages, and the
input we gain from you will be balanced with other evidence
that we gather. You can read more about what's already been
done and what is planned in our Statement of Consultation,
which will be updated at each stage of the Plan process. This
has been drawn up in accordance with our
Statement of Community Involvement 2019[1].
Question
(126) 1. How do you think we should involve our communities and stakeholders in developing the Plan?
2.2 How can I respond?
This consultation and all supporting documentation can be found on the Councils' websites. Hard copies of the First Conversation consultation document are available for inspection at the Councils' offices and at selected public libraries. A response form can also be obtained at the above locations and can be downloaded from the Councils' websites.
A series of events are planned during the consultation. The times and locations of the events are set out in the public notice and on the Councils' websites. These events will be informal and offer the opportunity for the public to come in and discuss the issues and options with officers.
For more information, including the accompanying documents, please visit www.greatercambridgeplanning.org
2.2.1 How you can make your comments
Comments on the consultation can be made in a number of different ways:
- On the dedicated Local Plan website for quick comments.
- if you want to make a longer and more detailed comment,
you can do so in the following ways:
- Through the Councils' consultation portal[2]
- By filling in the response form (available on the website) and sending it back to us either by email to: localplan@greatercambridgeplanning.org
- Alternatively, you can post the form back to either:
Cambridge City Council:
Planning Policy Team
Planning Services
Cambridge City Council
PO Box 700
Cambridge
CB1 0JH
Tel: 01954 713183
South Cambridgeshire District Council:
Planning Policy Team
South Cambridgeshire Hall
Cambourne Business Park
Cambourne
Cambridge
CB23 6EA
Tel: 01954 713183
The closing date for receipt of comments is 24 February 2020 at 5pm.
Responses through our consultation portal, including names, will be available to view on the Councils' websites. Full representations including addresses will also be available to view on request. Our privacy notice for planning policy consultations and notifications sets out how your personal data will be used and by whom. You can view both South Cambridgeshire District Council's[3] privacy statement and Cambridge City Council's[4] privacy statement.
2.2.2 Tell us about employment and housing site options
The Councils have previously carried out a 'Call for Sites' in Spring 2019, providing the opportunity for landowners, developers and communities to let us know about potential sites or broad locations for development that they wish the Council to consider as it progresses with this local plan. If you wish to put any further sites to us through this Issues and Options Consultation, a site form can be found on our website, setting out the information that we need. There is no need to resubmit sites you have already provided to the Councils as part of the Call for Sites 2019.
Question
(710)
2. Please submit any sites
for employment and housing you wish to suggest for
allocation in the Local Plan. Provide as much information
and supporting evidence as possible.
2.2.3 Tell us about green space and wildlife habitats opportunities
We will also be commissioning evidence identifying opportunities for large scale new green space in Greater Cambridge given the importance this has as part of our overall strategy for the plan. To support this work, you can submit sites for open space, wildlife habitats or other green space uses to us through this Issues and Options Consultation. A site form can be found on our website, setting out the information that we need.
Question
(26)
3. Please submit any sites
for green space and wildlife habitats you wish to suggest
for consideration through the Local Plan. Provide as much
information and supporting evidence as possible.
