Question 35. How should we ensure a high standard of housing is built in our area?

• Poor standards of cycle parking prevent people from cycling. Accessible, high-quality, secure and plentiful cycle parking is a critical element of high-standard housing and will enable more people to cycle regularly. • Good cycle parking is a factor in house buying and renting decisions. • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications. • Cycle parking policies must be absolutely clear about the need for accessible cycle stands that can be used by people of all abilities and specific about the design and installation requirements. • There must be a proportion of cycle stands that are suitable for cargo cycles, tricycles, adapted cycles and recumbents. • Vertical and semi-vertical cycle parking racks must be absolutely prohibited. • Two-tier racks must not be allowed for residential uses, and must be accompanied by a suitable proportion of Sheffield stands in non-residential uses for people who cannot use the two-tier racks. • Cycle parking should never be referred to as 'cycle storage', because 'parking' implies frequent usage and 'storage' does not; we want the design of cycle parking to be as convenient as possible in order to enable frequent usage. • Cycle parking should be at least as close to entry doors as any car parking. Convenience for everyday usage is paramount.

By not building any. Seriously, we have no capacity for growth as there isn't enough water for us AND for the river. If the rivers are lost, the trees will die too and farmland will turn to desert. This is what you're up against. Don't ignore it.

Set out requirements from the start and monitor the housing throughout the building process, making sure that what's delivered is what received planning permission.

Primarily, this should be matter for national Building Regulations rather than local plan policy. The adopted Local Plan already covers matters such as minimum floorspace standards, energy efficiency and design. There is no need for the Local Plan to widen its control of further matters in respect of housing quality. Regimes such as the Building Regulations are far more effective than planning policies in driving change and improved standards. In addition, the planning authorities need to recognise that all such policy objectives do have an impact in respect of the costs of building new homes and therefore it is important that any such policy aims are properly reflected in a new local plan viability assessment.

As noted in our response to Question 24, based on our experience with local developments, the Trumpington Residents’ Association stresses the importance of Design Codes and an investment by the Councils in the planning and development process. There is a need for the Councils to give more attention to monitoring the quality of new buildings and responding to poor quality. In the case of new developments (including recently completed areas), it is important to maintain their design ethos by restricting changes to individual properties, including approved car parking space standards, through continued implementation of planning controls, action against HMOs, etc.

Developers need to be encouraged not to just stick to the minimum space standards in national regulations, as this results in small rooms and low ceiling heights. It is important for all people to have enough space and a good standard of living. I think homes should be built prioritising this and energy efficiency over profits.

If it's not PassivHaus, if it's too big, if it's not 100% affordable and e.g. 50% disabled accessible, then it doesn't get planning permission. Simple. A random diverse jury of informed locals could iron out what the exact rules should be.

There could be larger minimum floor space for new buildings.

Similarly to Cambridge, Huntingdonshire successfully introduced the higher accessibility and adaptability standards into the Local Plan in 2019. Expansion of this approach from Cambridge into South Cambridgeshire would boost consistency and familiarity amongst developers of designing to the higher standards which may increase the viability of doing so benefitting the wider area. Properties should also seek to include appropriate space to work from home to reduce the need to travel for work to help reduce congestion, reduce energy demands and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Ensure super-fast fibre broadband is built-in. Standards for energy efficiency are especially important for all homes other than detached. This is because it is harder to retrofit when adjoining properties are impacted, therefore maximum insulation must be in the initial build. Minimum insulation (building regs.) standards have increased over the years, so take advice from physicists who understand what is the maximum useful depth & combination of insulation materials, and build that, regardless of what current national guideline/regulation says. This has an affordability impact: it raises initial cost but it also lowers ongoing cost for the resident, to an impossible-to-know-for-sure but possible-to-estimate extent. Marketing this ongoing saving vigorously to owner-occupier buyers would help builders absorb the cost. Buy-to-let buyers should promote low-running costs to their prospective tenants. I don't know how the Local Plan can persuade developers to market long-term affordability in this way but clearly they should. Retrofit on shared areas like micro-generation on roof of block of flats is tricky because of shared interests. So build it into the design, without fail. In Trumpington developers claimed credit for thoughtfully aligning some pitched roofs E-W allowing for later retrofit of solar, for heaven's sake! And they put a few panels on a roof so they could say "this house has solar" when half of the space was unused. They should have added maximum solar panels when it was easiest - let's ensure the new plan requires this. Even in a single property retrofit for microgeneration or solar hot water costs approximately double an installation in a new build, because components like multi-input water cylinder or heat store need adding or upgrading. Design it in, obviously There is a trade-off between building high-quality sustainable vs. affordable. For new builds this can be partially addressed by creating some smaller homes & tiny homes. I see that there are minimum space standards and that's important but should not be applied inflexibly. There clearly are people (e.g. boaters, travellers) who can live in a tiny home. Tiny home dwellers will benefit from lower initial and ongoing costs and will have a low carbon footprint. It would be interesting to assess demand for unconventionally small homes of very high-quality. Homes are for people, not cars, yet we see in the southern fringe parking built-in for almost every home. I recall that when outline permission was granted there was a requirement for 1.3 parking spaces/household. If such an insane requirement persists it must be challenged. Reduce cost by building car-free homes. Design in sustainable transport alternatives possibly including a small number of car-share spaces. Quick further thoughts: Prefabs are cheaper - can they be high-quality? Shared amenities eg Marmalade Lane reduce initial and ongoing costs. Shared heating systems in blocks and terraces.

• Poor standards of cycle parking prevent people from cycling. Accessible, high-quality, secure and plentiful cycle parking is a critical element of high-standard housing and will enable more people to cycle regularly. • Good cycle parking is a factor in house buying and renting decisions. • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications. • Cycle parking policies must be absolutely clear about the need for accessible cycle stands that can be used by people of all abilities and specific about the design and installation requirements. • There must be a proportion of cycle stands that are suitable for cargo cycles, tricycles, adapted cycles and recumbents. • Vertical and semi-vertical cycle parking racks must be absolutely prohibited. • Two-tier racks must not be allowed for residential uses, and must be accompanied by a suitable proportion of Sheffield stands in non-residential uses for people who cannot use the two-tier racks. • Cycle parking should never be referred to as 'cycle storage', because 'parking' implies frequent usage and 'storage' does not; we want the design of cycle parking to be as convenient as possible in order to enable frequent usage. • Cycle parking should be at least as close to entry doors as any car parking. Convenience for everyday usage is paramount.

In order to ensure high standards of housing, care must be taken at the planning stage to consider proposals, designs and materials. It is essential that decisions made at planning level are then supported by the discharge of conditions process along with proper enforcement of the planning permissions and building regulation system to ensure that the proposals are not watered down or value engineered to such a degree that the quality of the design or finishes is lost as part of the construction process.

Must have strong rules about building standards. Not one more house should be built at lower than zero carbon standards. We must have community heating and energy generation and look to other European countries that are way ahead of the UK with their building standards. Camcycle has great advice about high standard of housing to enable more cycling: • Poor standards of cycle parking prevent people from cycling. Accessible, high-quality, secure and plentiful cycle parking is a critical element of high-standard housing and will enable more people to cycle regularly. • Good cycle parking is a factor in house buying and renting decisions. • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications. • Cycle parking policies must be absolutely clear about the need for accessible cycle stands that can be used by people of all abilities and specific about the design and installation requirements. • There must be a proportion of cycle stands that are suitable for cargo cycles, tricycles, adapted cycles and recumbents. • Vertical and semi-vertical cycle parking racks must be absolutely prohibited. • Two-tier racks must not be allowed for residential uses, and must be accompanied by a suitable proportion of Sheffield stands in non-residential uses for people who cannot use the two-tier racks.

In general the principle that there is a needs to be a high standard of housing built is supported. For major settlements there should be specific development framework to guide the established principles with a further addendum design code which remains flexible should the development length be greater than five years. There should not be local policies that conflict with national guidance regarding sustainable development. The requirement should be to comply with statutory standards such as building regulations, renewable energy targets and the national standards for drainage. Failure to be consistent would only lead to unnesessary delays in boosting the supply of housing due to planning permission delays. Housing in rural communites provided via SME and custom builders by their nature are likley to be bespoke schemes that offer the opportunity to enhance the character of villages. There is a misconception that built development always detract from the exisitng landscape. If built form is done well not only would the housing stock be improved with energy efficient homes but could add to the thread of development; particulalry in linear village street where there is no uniformity between the built and small illegible green gaps. For example along the main village street along Alms Hill, Bourn where there is an opportunity to reconnect individual dwellings and clusters with bespoke/custom housing in the void areas and support what has been identified within Priorty 02 of the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy as "ensuring its villages remain vibrant and sustainable" The new Plan should therefore establish principles of not only local venacular but how modern elevations could offer an evolution in the setting that is complimentary. Such bespoke clusters should not always be viewed as harmful and whilst there needs to be a professional judgment as to what is acceptable. For example the art deco dwellings along Harlton Road, Gt Eversden do not detract from the linear thread of

See comments above about Local design guides and good regional exemplars.

• Enforce high standards for energy efficiency • Integrate green spaces with housing • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications.

Sticking to the principles laid out in Adopted Neighbourhood Plans, Village Design Statements and Building Regulations should be enough.

By updating the District wide design guide and developing local design guides for communities targeted for expansion. Site specific design codes and parameter plans should be developed for all sites of >200 dwellings. Local communities/Parish Councils should be closely involved in this process. Develop clear and enforcable design guides in cosultaion with local communities.

• Poor standards of cycle parking prevent people from cycling. Accessible, high-quality, secure and plentiful cycle parking is a critical element of high-standard housing and will enable more people to cycle regularly. • Good cycle parking is a factor in house buying and renting decisions. • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications. • Cycle parking policies must be absolutely clear about the need for accessible cycle stands that can be used by people of all abilities and specific about the design and installation requirements. • There must be a proportion of cycle stands that are suitable for cargo cycles, tricycles, adapted cycles and recumbents. • Vertical and semi-vertical cycle parking racks must be absolutely prohibited. • Two-tier racks must not be allowed for residential uses, and must be accompanied by a suitable proportion of Sheffield stands in non-residential uses for people who cannot use the two-tier racks. • Cycle parking should never be referred to as 'cycle storage', because 'parking' implies frequent usage and 'storage' does not; we want the design of cycle parking to be as convenient as possible in order to enable frequent usage. • Cycle parking should be at least as close to entry doors as any car parking. Convenience for everyday usage is paramount. Consider measures to reduce water usage eg using “grey water” for flushing toilets etc

High environmental standards, learning from others.

Local housing design standards should adopt design principals advocated by groups such as Createstreets (www.createstreets.com).

See previous answers about Planning Policies that require the highest standards of efficiency, sustainable materials etc.

It is important that housing is built to a sufficient size and standard. The starting point with this should be the Nationally Described Minimum Space Standards. In addition in relation to adaptable and wheelchair accessible standards appropriate amounts of M3 and M4 types of property should be provided.

• Poor standards of cycle parking prevent people from cycling. Accessible, high-quality, secure and plentiful cycle parking is a critical element of high-standard housing and will enable more people to cycle regularly. • Good cycle parking is a factor in house buying and renting decisions. • Cycle parking standards must be updated to increase the number of cycle parking spaces required for developments, and the design standards have to be updated with modern, inclusive cycle parking specifications. • Cycle parking policies must be absolutely clear about the need for accessible cycle stands that can be used by people of all abilities and specific about the design and installation requirements. • There must be a proportion of cycle stands that are suitable for cargo cycles, tricycles, adapted cycles and recumbents. • Vertical and semi-vertical cycle parking racks must be absolutely prohibited. • Two-tier racks must not be allowed for residential uses, and must be accompanied by a suitable proportion of Sheffield stands in non-residential uses for people who cannot use the two-tier racks. • Cycle parking should never be referred to as 'cycle storage', because 'parking' implies frequent usage and 'storage' does not; we want the design of cycle parking to be as convenient as possible in order to enable frequent usage. • Cycle parking should be at least as close to entry doors as any car parking. Convenience for everyday usage is paramount.

By having appropriate viable policies.

Yes should all be carbon zero. Cambridge is a centre of scientific excellence we should be world leaders on this, can’t we make this the thing that makes Cambridge special?

USS supports the Council’s ambition to deliver high quality homes, which are safe, secure and long-lasting. USS encourage the Council to adopt a design-led approach to the acceptability of development proposals, particularly on high density development. The national spaces standards ensure homes are fit for purpose and USS consider these remain appropriate. However, USS does encourage the Council to explore having specific standards for energy efficiency, accessibility and adaptability to respond to local needs and the impact this has on affordability.

No comment.

7.8 Local Plan policies can require a high standard of design for new residential development, leading from Government policy and guidance. Appropriately worded design policies should require a high quality design for new dwellings. This could include sustainable design principles including measures to improve the energy efficiency of new homes, water saving measures, use of efficient insultation material and heating systems, the reduction and recycling of construction materials, provision of appropriate amenity space and accessibility. Policy should not be prescriptive for precisely how it will be accomplished, it can set a policy-level, but developers should be able to use a host of options to achieve the target. Furthermore, high standards of design should not be restricted to the architectural quality of buildings, high quality places and spaces should be encouraged as a baseline in new developments. 7.9 The promoters of Land to the west of Cambridge Road, Melbourn, Countryside Properties, are an established housebuilder and have the site under contract to deliver homes should the site be allocated. Countryside Properties has a reputation for delivering high quality schemes and houses and has been the recipient of numerous design awards. The Council’s ambition for the Local Plan to ensure that high quality developments and homes are delivered aligns with Countryside’s values as a business and the development of the site would contribute to the delivery of high quality housing across the area.

6.9 Local Plan policies can require a high standard of design for new residential development, leading from Government policy and guidance. Appropriately worded design policies should require a high quality design for new dwellings. This could include sustainable design principles including measures to improve the energy efficiency of new homes, water saving measures, use of efficient insultation material and heating systems, the reduction and recycling of construction materials, provision of appropriate amenity space and accessibility. Policy should not be prescriptive for precisely how it will be accomplished, it can set a policy-level, but developers should be able to use a host of options to achieve the target. Furthermore, high standards of design should not be restricted to the architectural quality of buildings, high quality places and spaces should be encouraged as a baseline in new developments. 6.10 The promoters of Land at Fishers Lane, Orwell, Countryside Properties, are an established housebuilder and are promoting the site for allocation in the Local Plan. Countryside Properties has a reputation for delivering high quality schemes and houses and has been the recipient of numerous design awards. The Council’s ambition for the Local Plan to ensure that high quality developments and homes are delivered aligns with Countryside’s values as a business and the development of the site would contribute to the delivery of high quality housing across the area.