Question 30. What approach should the next plan take to supporting or managing tourism in Cambridge and the rural area?

It sems unlikely that tourism in Cambridge needs 'supporting', except in the sense of it needing to be 'managed' which it clearly does

No specific comments but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the planning authorities have sometimes not been readily supportive (in principle) of cafes, garden centres, and other similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in the rural areas.

Hotels located in or near residential areas can bring a number of problems eg traffic and noise such as from customers arriving late at night, talking in the street etc. In general hotels should be located away from residential areas. Given the number of hotels recently built or given planning permission, there should be a realistic and independent assessment of how many more are required.

Tourism is a major employer in Cambridge and it hinterland and the next plan should provide adequately for its needs.

Tourism should be assessed using the same sustainability criteria that would apply to other economic benefits.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

Skateboarding Is the most popular activity in the world right now. Build skate spots to bring skateboarding tourism in. For example half of the revenue in Barcelona comes from skateboarding tourism. Think about this.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

No specific comments but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the planning authorities have sometimes not been readily supportive (in principle) of cafes, garden centres, and other similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in the rural areas

No specific comments but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the planning authorities have sometimes not been readily supportive (in principle) of cafes, garden centres, and other similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in the rural areas

The College, given its location, is aware of both the benefits and challenges of high levels of visitation in the city centre and its impact on its fabric and infrastructure. As such, the College would support building on existing visitor attractions outside the city centre in well located rural places, with good access including public transport. This will assist in maintaining the visitor economy but would also spread the benefits more widely across the area providing additional local jobs, contributing to local services and facilitating the sustainability of smaller settlements, including some villages which are losing population and service provision. In this regard, the College’s Duxford “Call for Sites” proposals would directly support the plans of IWM Duxford to increase visitation, by protecting the flight paths over its land and by creating a “green link” through the Call for Sites proposal site and onto Whittlesford Parkway to provide more direct public transport access to IWM.

Building new visitor accommodation in rural areas does not fit well with the aspirations on climate change since it will encourage visitors to arrive by and use cars.

No specific comments but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the planning authorities have sometimes not been readily supportive (in principle) of cafes, garden centres, and other similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in the rural areas.

No specific comments but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the planning authorities have sometimes not been readily supportive (in principle) of cafes, garden centres, and other similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in the rural areas.

See answer to Q29. Ditto.

Mass tourism is a huge problem in Cambridge. The sheer numbers of tourists make the centre of town into an area to actively avoid. Tourism brings very little benefit as it consists mostly of day trippers and encourages the gradual replacement of local facilities with restaurants and fast-food shops. The plan should consider ways to reduce the number of day-trippers, for example with a tourism tax and restrictions on coach parking near the centre.

No specific comment, but tourism needs to be considered widely so that such consideration embraces the general leisure and recreation needs of the growing population are met. Experience has shown that the authorities have sometimes not supported the principle of cafés, garden centres, and similar ‘passive’ leisure destinations in rural areas.

Implement a tourist tax.

Current levels of tourism in the city centre, especially during the summer months, have a negative impact on the quality of life for residents and visitors, and are a growing H&S threat. Unmanaged group sizes, unauthorised tour guides, lack of amenities for school groups, lack of public toilets, poor visitor information at key arrival points. A tourist tax would help to finance facilities.

Providing tourist accommodation in rural areas might have a negative impact in that access would almost invariably be by private car. How is this consistent with the climate change agenda? Consideration of locating tourist accommodation in residential areas could contribute to a loosening of social cohesion.

Tourism management should be taken very seriously to ensure that Cambridge is first and foremost a city for its residents, not its visitors.

Within Cambridge we should encourage coach dropoffs away from the city centre (particularly along Queen's Road). Instead have coach parking at the park and rides and require the use of public transport to access the tourist sites in the city

Where residential accommodation is being let to visitors for more than 1 month per year and without the home owner in residence then this should require planning consent. Assume that new hotel accommodation should be flexible to adapt to other users in future as the tourism generated by ultra cheap flying is a temporary historical aberration.

Introduce a tourist tax, as have other international cities etc Rome. Ban large coaches from the City Centres - our visitors can then transfer from the outskirts to the Park and Ride (where there should be toilet facilities). Limit the size of tourist groups while walking around the City. Use and pay for our own Blue Guides, who can show them more than just King's College Chapel. Promote other attractions other than in Cambridge, eg Ely

The Trumpington Residents’ Association supports the need for a tourism strategy for the City. We are concerned about the impact of coach traffic coming into the city and potentially using the facilities at the existing Trumpington Park & Ride site and the new Travel Hub and the need to manage coach parking.

• The effect of the growing population in Greater Cambridge will increasingly put pressure on existing rural attractions. In Fulbourn, the privately owned Nature Reserve (managed by the Wildlife Trust), parts of which are an SSSI, brings traffic from outside the village down the dead-end Stonebridge Lane, a ‘quiet’ rural road with no pavements, while the reserve also becomes a destination for many dog walkers along the permissive paths, not always compatible with its prime function as a site for nature. • Subsequently, new rural attractions need to be urgently created, both parks and wilder areas where the natural world is predominant. This will mean taking land out of agricultural use, but it is essential, both to protect existing biodiverse sites and to provide new areas which can contribute to the quality of life of the expanding population.

Savills (UK) Ltd are instructed by St John’s College, Cambridge to make the necessary submissions to the Council’s consultation “The First Conversation” as part of the Issues and Options consultation process for a new Greater Cambridge Local Plan. The College is a significant landowner in and around Cambridge and accordingly needs to make the necessary representations to the Councils in respect of its assets and on other relevant planning policy issues that will arise in the context of any new development plan for the two administrative areas of South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City. As a College on the Backs, St John’s College would seek to ensure that the Local Plan makes adequate provision for transport to and from the City centre of the growing numbers of visitors, including regulation of coach movements and parking. Furthermore, active management of the tourist population is likely to be required in years to come to retain the attractive nature of the City Centre as a place to live, work and visit. This could include mandatory licensing and regulation of tour guides, clear and co-ordinated signposting of key sites, support to city centre locations in effective tourist management and provision of basic facilities that reflect the needs of the numbers arriving. Balancing maintaining the safety and attractiveness of the city centre with the needs of businesses and Colleges operating there will need to be a continued policy theme within the Local Plan. Issues such as the location, nature and management of street barriers (rising or otherwise) are likely to be an on-going source of debate.