Question 7. How do you think we should prioritise these big themes? Rank the options below 1-4 (1 - Most Preferred 4 - Least Preferred):
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Question 7. How do you think we should prioritise these big themes? Q7 Response: Environment should be at the front and centre of everything. Bearing in mind how much we have known about the consequences of global warming for such a long time it is astonishing what terrible retrograde decisions have been made in recent history. We have to fundamentally change how we live. I keep on banging on about childcare but every single decision should be viewed primarily through the context of the impact of climate change and decisions should be formulated on that basis. I don’t see that planning for childcare has ever been thought of in terms of environmental impact it needs to be and so does everything else.
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Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places
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RESPONSE TO QUESTION 7 - For the reasons described in M&M’s response to Question 6, the Big Themes cannot be ranked at this stage as they do not properly reflect all strands of sustainable development.
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Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places
Response to Question 7 The four big themes are all considered to be important aspects to achieving positive development. All four themes should be used to inform the spatial strategy within the Local Plan in terms of distributing growth and determining planning applications to deliver growth. It is therefore not considered necessary to rank the options in order of preference. 4.4 The proposed development of 104-112 Hills Road could address the big themes in the following ways: ● Climate Change – Pace recognise the climate emergency and wish to deliver a development that embraces the new agenda to work towards net zero carbon. The proposed commercial development will be designed to a high quality and long life-span. It will incorporate low carbon technologies and energy efficiency measures. During operation, the development will be free of fossil fuels and free of carbon emissions. The site is also in a sustainable location with access to excellent public transport connections including the new Chisholm trail link, thereby reducing residents’ reliance on private cars for travel. ● Biodiversity and Green Space – through the provision of on-site green infrastructure to create recreational and ecological assets to be enjoyed by the people of Cambridge. ● Wellbeing and Social Inclusion – the proposals will at its heart incorporate an improved public realm and deliver facilities that will promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing through the provision of on-site recreation and the site’s accessibility to employment, education, shops and public transport by active and sustainable modes of travel. ● Great Places – there is an opportunity to maximise the site’s potential to deliver densification in a well-connected area, providing open space on site and opportunities for increased recreation.
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RESPONSE TO QUESTION 7 The four big themes are all considered to be important aspects to achieving positive development. All four themes should be used to inform the spatial strategy within the Local Plan in terms of distributing growth and determining planning applications to deliver growth. It is therefore not considered necessary to rank the options in order of preference.
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
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Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Climate Change, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
Response to Question 7 As has been explored in the response to Question 6, the Plan does not provide an appropriate approach to the identified big themes with a clear emphasis provided towards achieving environmentally sustainable development. This results in weight attached to objectives focussed on climate change and the natural environment which reduces the Plan's ability to ensure development that meets the other requirements of the Plan, such as the quantum of residential development implemented in the correct locations. It is considered that although the themes of "Climate Change" and "Biodiversity and Green Spaces" should be important issues that need to be addressed through the new Local Plan, these should not preclude the ability of the Plan in engaging with the other big issues. Furthermore, by prioritising these themes into a hierarchy does not aid the Plan is recognising which issues are the most significant in combating. As currently drafted the Plan establishes an approach which automatically quashes the significance of some themes in favour of others. If the Plan wishes to inappropriately prioritise its objectives, it is considered that the big themes should be categorised as follows: 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion 2. Great Places 3. Climate Change 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces It is maintained that the above themes are interlinked. For example, achieving development that combats Climate Change should include strategies to enhance biodiversity and provide open space as part of a sustainable approach. It is considered that, by categorising these themes into a hierarchy, this undermines this interconnectivity and simplifies the circumstances which the Plan looks to engage with Summary of Comments: If your comments are longer than 100 words, please summarise the main issues raised. 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, 2. Great Places, 3. Climate Change, 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces.
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Question 7: How do you think we should prioritise these big themes? Q7 response: It is inappropriate to seek to prioritise or rank the Big Themes, which should also include economics, housing, employment and infrastructure, as they are inextricably linked to the delivery of development in a sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally responsible way and cannot be prioritised one above the other.
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Question 7: How do you think we should prioritise these big themes: The big themes are all important, but ‘Great Places’ and ‘Biodiversity and Greenspace’ are especially relevant to the Trust’s principal visitor attractions in Cambridgeshire - Wimpole Hall, Anglesey Abbey and Wicken Fen - and resonate with the aims of the National Trust. See also our comments on the HRA and SA scoping reports.
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Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places
Question 7: How do you think we should prioritise these big themes? Q7 response: All the elements of sustainability are important and we don’t believe that prioritising them in a generic way is an appropriate approach. It seems to us that ranking the four themes is a meaningless exercise that trivialises a highly complex multi-dimensional reality. • The Sustainability Assessment for the draft 2018 Local Plan did not tackle key issues including environmental capacity. It is vital that the Sustainability Assessment for the new Local Plan takes these issues very seriously indeed. • The priority between themes in any given situation will inevitably depend on the circumstances of specific issues and the local context. For example, it would not be appropriate to attach solar panels to the roof of Kings College Chapel – which is the type of perverse outcome that could arise if any one theme was pre-dominant. The Sustainability Assessment is the document that should present a suite of criteria for prioritising conflicting themes in trade-off situations – but does it do so?
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All of the themes are interlinked, however, the natural environment forms the basis for all economic activity and life. Therefore biodiversity and green spaces and climate change must form the core component of future sustainable development. Restoring biodiversity will require better land management, which in turn will help to reduce carbon emissions. Restoring biodiversity also goes hand in hand with better soil management practices that can help lock up carbon, as well as ensure more sustainable agricultural land uses and food production. Making space for nature and better management of soils can also reduce flooding downstream and help water percolate back into the ground to replenish the chalk aquifer that provides much of our water. Future development must be within the capacity of the environment to support that development. A critical issue and potential major constraint to the stated ambition of doubling GVA, is the availability of water. At present current patterns of abstraction are unsustainable in that there is insufficient water provided to the natural environment, as evidenced by the parlous state of our chalk rivers and spring fed wetlands. Until this fundamental failing is addressed Cambridge cannot grow sustainably.
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Some would say that unless overall priority is given to environmental impact (especially climate/carbon impact but also water usage, biodiversity and creating a place that supports wellbeing) little else matters. The graphic (the tree with 4 leaves and three, smaller, roots) underplays the influence of the three on creating the community we wish to become.
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Climate Change, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
Whilst Thakeham is of the view that all the above themes should be given equal weight as they are all important, it is also key that climate change should be a priority, with a focus on development which can provide both new and improved sustainable transport links, new zero-carbon ready homes, and new employment opportunities which link to and sustain existing villages and settlements. Thakeham would like to urge the Councils’ to work with environmentally focused developers to deliver high quality, sustainable developments. Thakeham is also over the view that development should focus on improving wellbeing and social inclusion for both residents in existing settlements and new development. This can be achieved through allocating development and new facilities (open space, community and employment uses) across the wider district to include villages, in order to allow them to grow and thrive in accordance with Paragraph 78 of the NPPF. It is also key that new development is of high quality and centred around placemaking. In accordance with Paragraph 124 of the NPPF, the creation of high-quality buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve, and good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, which creates better places in which to live and work.
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It is inappropriate to seek to prioritise or rank the Big Themes, which should also include economics, housing, employment and infrastructure, as they are inextricably linked to the delivery of development in a sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally responsible way and cannot be prioritised one above the other
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
Southern & Regional Developments (Swavesey) consider that the Plan does not provide an appropriate approach to the identified big themes with a clear emphasis provided towards achieving environmentally sustainable development. This results in weight attached to objectives focussed on climate change and the natural environment which reduces the Plan's ability to ensure development that meets the other requirements of the Plan, such as the quantum of residential development implemented in the correct locations. It is considered that although the themes of "Climate Change" and "Biodiversity and Green Spaces" should be important issues that need to be addressed through the new Local Plan, these should not preclude the ability of the Plan in engaging with the other big issues. Furthermore, by prioritising these themes into a hierarchy does not aid the Plan is recognising which issues are the most significant in combating. As currently drafted the Plan establishes an approach which automatically quashes the significance of some themes in favour of others. If the Plan wishes to inappropriately prioritise its objectives, it is considered that the big themes should be categorised as follows: 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion 2. Great Places 3. Climate Change 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces It is maintained that the above themes are interlinked. For example, achieving development that combats Climate Change should include strategies to enhance biodiversity and provide open space as part of a sustainable approach. It is considered that, by categorising these themes into a hierarchy, this undermines this interconnectivity and simplifies the circumstances which the Plan looks to engage with. Summary of Comments: 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, 2. Great Places, 3. Climate Change, 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces.
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Great Places, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Climate Change, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion
It is difficult to prioritise or rank these themes as all are important, but given the primary role of the Local Plan as a land use planning tool, we have placed Great Places first. However, we acknowledge that many of these themes are inter-related and depend on one another.
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Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Great Places, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces
As has been explored on behalf of European Proeprty Ventures (Cambridge) in their response to Question 6, the Plan does not provide an appropriate approach to the identified big themes in terms of achieving environmentally sustainable development. This results in weight attached to objectives focussed on addressing climate change and the natural environment, which reduces the Plan's ability to ensure the delivery of development that meets the other requirements of the Plan, such as the quantum of residential development and its implementing in the correct locations. It is considered that although the themes of "Climate Change" and "Biodiversity and Green Spaces" should be important issues to be addressed through the new Local Plan, these should not preclude the ability of the Plan to engage with the other big issues. Furthermore, by prioritising these themes into a hierarchy does not aid the Plan in recognising which issues are the most significant in combating climate impacts and harmful environmental influences. As currently drafted the Plan establishes an approach which automatically quashes the significance of some themes in favour of others. If the Plan wishes to inappropriately prioritise its objectives, it is considered that the big themes should be categorised as follows: 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion 2. Great Places 3. Climate Change 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces It is maintained that the above themes are interlinked. For example, achieving development that combats Climate Change should include strategies to enhance biodiversity and provide open space as part of a sustainable approach. It is considered that, by categorising these themes into a hierarchy, this undermines this interconnectivity and simplifies the circumstances which the Plan looks to engage with. Summary of Comments: 1. Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, 2. Great Places, 3. Climate Change, 4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces
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Climate change, climate change, climate change. Then the others.
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The Councils’ visions seem appropriate and aligned with the three pillars of sustainable development. In our view the Plan’s vision should be focused around the ‘big themes’ identified to influence how homes, jobs and infrastructure will be planned over the period to 2040, including climate change, biodiversity and green spaces, wellbeing and social inclusion. We support the big themes and note that they are strongly inter-related and are dependent upon a healthy and resilient natural environment. On this basis the overarching vision for the Plan should be the protection and enhancement of the natural environment, to deliver multi-functional benefits for people and wildlife, including biodiversity net gain, enhanced green infrastructure, soils, geodiversity & landscape, health & wellbeing, sustainable drainage and mitigation & adaptation to climate change.
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Our view is that it is inappropriate to seek to prioritise or rank the Big Themes, which should also include economic growth, housing, employment and infrastructure, as they are inextricably linked to the delivery of development in a sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally responsible way and cannot be prioritised one above the other. This is fundamental to the principles of sustainable development as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, 2019). See for instance paragraph 5 which talks about economic, social (including housing) and environmental objectives for sustainable development.
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Our view is that it is inappropriate to seek to prioritise or rank the Big Themes, which should also include economic growth, housing, employment and infrastructure, as they are inextricably linked to the delivery of development in a sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally responsible way and cannot be prioritised one above the other. This is fundamental to the principles of sustainable development as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework.
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Wellbeing and Social Inclusion, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Great Places
Whilst we have ranked the big themes, these are each of equal importance and should be brought forward together to ensure sustainable development.
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The four themes are all equally important in the context of changing infrastructure and economic growth in the area, effect on housing need and other aspects of spatial and transport planning and how this translates in to a coherent strategic framework for the next 15-20 years. However, as the impacts of climate change are increasingly clear, Grosvenor and USS consider this should be prioritised. 3.9 Trumpington South can commit to integrating all the themes within its masterplan, including the delivery of zero carbon homes in operation, to deliver a place with the highest social, economic and environmental credentials.
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