Question 29. How flexible should we be about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres?
In terms of change of use between town centre and community uses, we are supportive of policy which allows cultural uses to come forward within town centres particularly where it brings vacant properties back into use whether on a temporary or more permanent basis. Non-retail leisure and cultural uses are becoming increasingly important in supporting the health and vibrancy of town centres. While residential uses within town centres helps support their function it needs to be located sensitively so as to avoid conflict with other uses, in particular noise-generating cultural uses. This principle features within paragraph 182 of the NPPF.
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We will have to be extremely flexible and resilient, since many of our settlement centres will soon look like Venice. Our centres need to start breeding pollinators, growing food, absorbing floodwater, filtering air pollution, etc. etc.
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Flexibility of uses in villages where services may be relied on by residents in Huntingdonshire should also take their needs into account when determining whether uses should be protected and retained.
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Flexibility is an inappropriate parameter and good policy will not be consistently flexible nor inflexible. Decisions need to take account of the impacts (good and band) on residents but fundamentally we should let the market work. There is no case for limiting the ability of new businesses to enter and compete against existing businesses. We could improve the general sense of place in our village cores through significantly reducing the weight of traffic usage in the centres, thereby benefitting all businesses. Our villages are in a difficult situation because traditional shops that are merely shops will struggle to survive against current trends. However, the businesses that can thrive in these locations (e.g., service oriented businesses such as hairdressers, small gyms, cafes and meeting places, cannot thrive in our congested and busy village centres. A rethink on what a large village centre will look like in 2040 is required.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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I think it is a good idea for centres to be flexible to adapt to changing need but I think that supporting too many places that are almost solely to support tourism, for example, more hotels, would do a disservice to those working and living in Cambridge and the surrounding areas. I appreciate that places such as hotels generate jobs but I think that Cambridge's charm would be lost if it becomes more touristy.
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Rather than 'flexible' I would say we need to enable mixed-use or more integration of leisure, retail, employment and accommodation. Otherwise it becomes one sterile space and another next to overcrowded entertainment spaces. Mixing things up makes life more interesting and creates more sense of community. The 15 minute city approach being implemented in Paris should be a great inspiration. This also improves transport and reduces congestion/the need for long car trips. See Camcycle's response: • We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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Very flexible. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes. Shorter journeys are always more sustainable journeys. The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduce the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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Arguably we already allow some pretty bad uses in our villages (farming itself is a heavy NOx polluter, recycling plants impose odour and noise on their neighbours, and the heavy goods traffic generated by muckaway movements from new development) which should be reduced.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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Flexible to protect nature, small local businesses not the interests of big business. There needs to be stringent control of polluting businesses and protection of the environment.
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I think some degree of flexibility is a good thing.
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This should depend on the needs and wishes of the local community. There should be restrictions on some types of development, such as student accommodation and Airbnb.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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Given the permitted development rights for converting existing town centre type uses a high degree of flexibility is required. It is also very likely that retail habits will change over the plan period so a flexible approach is also required in this regard.
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More flexible. If you want people to reduce their carbon footprint let them work from home. Let them run small businesses from home but be very specific about what you do and do not allow. At this point in time decisions are determined by the arbitrary decision of a planning inspector there is no clarity about what is and is not allowed in the process, no guidelines on your website even though central government implies that running a small non disruptive business from home is fine as long as you pay the appropriate tax. Provide clarity about what is and is not acceptable then people can build and grow with confidence then be in a position to move on as their business expands. If you do not have affordable alternatives available (you do not here) you need some flexibility about people working from home.
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The historic character of Cambridge city centre should not be compromised. The Market was for a long time that of a market town serving residents, where fresh fruit and vegetable stalls and other fresh food stalls preponderated, with a few clothes stalls. It is regrettable that this character is being sacrificed to malodorous hot street food stalls mostly serving passing tourists and depositing a dangerous layer of grease underfoot.
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A mix of uses should be offered, which is appropriate to the context of its local community and scale of centre. This should be combined with the opportunity to reduce the need for travel where possible.
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No comment.
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An overly prescriptive policy framework can harm the viability and vitality of centres. A modern, responsive policy approach is welcomed to allow for a wider range of services and facilities. In particular, a flexible approach to the density and heights of development that will be provided on sustainable sites such as 104-112 Hills Road is supported.
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ARU's mission has always been to transform lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. It continues to play a critical role in the educational, research and economic success of the Greater Cambridge area, and has ambitious but realistic plans to ensure that it can continue to make this vital contribution. There are currently just over 11,000 students studying on campus in Cambridge, up around 120 students on the previous year, with further intakes due in May. The year on year increase in numbers is driven by doubledigit growth in both EU and International students: - The EU student population has grown to 1539, a 12% increase on 2018/9 - The International student population has grown to 1962, a 27% increase on 2018/9. Undergraduates make up two-thirds of the population in 2019/20 but Postgraduate Taught student numbers are growing (up 14% on last year). The University has aspirations for further growth, in particular, relating to International, Degree Apprenticeship and Foundation Year courses, of between 5 to 10% over the next 3 years. Higher Education continues to change, making detailed planning for the life of the new Local Plan very difficult. The University would very much welcome the opportunity to discuss its plans in more detail as the Local Plan process continues. Support for University development To ensure that the University of Cambridge and ARU can continue to modernise and maximise their contributions to the educational, research and economic success of the Greater Cambridge area, it is important that the new Local Plan recognises and makes provision for the planned growth. To do this, policies in the new Local Plan need to positively support University development. Policy 43 in the Cambridge Local Plan 2018 states that University Development in the City Centre will be permitted subject to criteria whereas University Development outside the City Centre will be treated on their merits. East Road marks the city centre boundary in that Plan with land to the northwest of the road being inside and land to the southeast of the road being outside the city centre. The Local Plan 2018 acknowledges that the East Road site and area remain the most sustainable location for ARU and the University is keen to continue to concentrate its provision in this area, but the consequence of the spatial differentiation in policy 43 means that development on the University’s East Road campus, which is adjacent to but outside the city centre, and its site at Young Street site will be judged on their merits rather than being permitted (subject to criteria). The new Local Plan needs to include explicit support for modernised and enhanced provision on ARU’s East Road site and area. Student Accommodation It is important that the new Local Plan recognises, is consistent and makes provision for the expected growth in student numbers and need for accommodation. Paragraph 5.28 of the Cambridge Local Plan 2018 refers to catering for growth in student numbers (at ARU) whilst paragraph 6.14 contradicts this by stating that ARU has confirmed that it has no growth aspirations to 2026. It is acknowledged that the increasing demand for accommodation from students can put pressure on the general housing market. The National Planning Policy Framework 2019 requires sufficient land to come forward to meet the housing needs of different groups, and makes specific reference to students in this regard (paragraph 61). The implications of the wording of Policy 46 of the Cambridge Local Plan 2018 will unduly limit the opportunities to make the required provision for additional student accommodation. The policy states that “Permanent purpose built student accommodation will not be supported on sites allocated for housing, or with an extant planning permission for residential development, or sites identified as potential housing sites within the Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment”. Such a wide ranging exclusion together with policies that seek to protect other land uses, unduly limits the opportunities to provide student accommodation. Rather than unduly limit opportunities to provide the required provision for additional student accommodation, the new Local Plan needs to ensure that it provides for sufficient land to meet all the housing needs, including Student accommodation. Masterplan The University is preparing a masterplan for its East Road campus and is keen to ensure that it has a clear, recognised standing as a material planning consideration in the determination of subsequent planning applications. We are keen to continue discussions on how this might be achieved, which could include being a supplementary planning document to a policy hook in the new Local Plan.
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• To achieve some form of balance between the often-competing pressures facing Cambridge and the surrounding villages, there will be a need for the Councils to exercise a strong degree of control through the planning system. Market forces, if left unchecked through an open flexible approach, will encourage the creation of high density, high profit, developments at the expense of other uses. The level of flexibility must therefore be determined by the vision of the Plan as a whole and the wellbeing of its residents – this dictates a ‘Somewhat Inflexible’ approach. • The rapid rate of change in the retail and technology sectors dictates the need for flexibility in Plan making and implementation, especially in the later parts of the plan – see our response to Q4. Tourism is another area where flexibility may be necessary. • The need for flexibility emphasises the requirement for the continuous review of the Plan and its policies. NPPF Paragraphs 31 and 32 stresses that all policies in the Plan should be kept under review and up-dated as new evidence emerges. A Policy to this effect must be included in the Plan.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of ‘compact development’ that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach. “Hidalgo has been leading a radical overhaul of the city’s mobility culture since taking office in 2014, and has already barred the most polluting vehicles from entry, banished cars from the Seine quayside and reclaimed road space for trees and pedestrians. Now, she says, Paris needs to go one step further and remodel itself so that residents can have all their needs met—be they for work, shopping, health, or culture—within 15 minutes of their own doorstep.” (O’Sullivan, 2020) “The meta-analysis shows that mode share and likelihood of walking trips are most strongly associated with the design and diversity dimensions of built environments. Intersection density, jobshousing balance, and distance to stores have the greatest elasticities.” (Ewing, 2010) Evidence for our response to Question29. • O’Sullivan, Feargus (2020). Paris Mayor: It’s Time for a‘15-Minute City’. City Lab: Feb 18th, 2020. www.citylab.com/environment/2020/02/paris-election-anne-hidalgo-city-planning-walksstores-parks/606325/ • Ewing,Reid and Cervero, Robert (2010). Travel and the Built Environment. Journal of the American Planning Association,76:3,265-294.
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Sustainability, environmental (travel) absolute issues. IF (and only if) those work, let’s be flexible. One special case could be retail. Protecting in local centres may reduce travel (and carbon) costs. There appears to be good frameworks in place including the Neighbourhood plan and the Village Design statement to provide a framework around the uses we allow. These documents along with the Local Plan should be used to confirm the changes that can be made, and they should be evolved as circumstances change our flexibility. The principles around net carbon zero, preserving our heritage and building for the future generations given the increase in population should all be front-loaded so we do not find ourselves making poor decisions due to the fact decisions are not made until we reach crisis point. Good Planning is needed. Continuous improvement is also a good tool around this topic.
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• Taking Fulbourn as an example, it currently has a good mix of shops and services located in its centre, which serve the residents well. The loss of these premises to other uses, such as housing, would begin to change the dynamic, and these commercial facilities would never return. This would, in turn, force people to travel further afield and impact on the remaining shops and services, perhaps resulting in them becoming uneconomic, especially as rent levels rise. • To encourage use of the existing shops we wish to have support, including financial, to improve the High Street, making it more pleasant, better maintained, less polluted, and less dominated by traffic.
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• We should be very flexible about the uses we allow in our city, town, district, local and village centres. Communities should provide a diverse range of employment, shopping, leisure and educational opportunities as close as reasonably possible to homes to enable shorter and more sustainable journeys. • The Local Plan should embrace the notion of 'compact development' that reduces the distance that people have to travel for typical everyday needs, keeping them within easy cycling reach.
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No answer given
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Less flexible in Cambridge City, whose character has already been severely damaged by too many large office and hotel slabs, especially around the station. More flexible about employment space in town and large village centres whilst protecting the character and heritage of each village. Also ensure that essential services such as surgeries, schools and shops are protected and enhanced as growth occurs.
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