Question 5

Neutral

Does early years include good nursery provision? Childcare is already difficult to find in North Cambridge. This needs to provide at least adequate provision for the housing, and potentially more for those commuting to work here. I would need to see the projected demographics to understand your school choices here too. The remaining facilities are a bare minimum of what is needed, and will undoubtedly stress the surrounding area.

Not at all

The consultation evidences only one community 'room', a community 'garden' and one cultural space. It 'claims' the existing on-site Science Park facilities as part of this development, and makes insufficient commitment to delivering on the allusions made to 'opportunities' to deliver other sport and leisure facilities that will be ancillary and co-located with other facilities. This implies that the commitment to provide sports and leisure facilities (such as indoor swimming provision) will in fact be 'outsourced' to hotel and office space developers. There is simply not enough effort made to create anything more than a new housing estate and a few local shops.

Mostly yes

I think what is planned is good, but would want to see more leisure facilities included (swimming pool, cinema), and at least a health facility and library on the eastern side of the science park as well.

Mostly yes

6th form college in this area would be useful.

Not at all

Planning those facilities is all well and good but putting them on the site of the water treatment works and moving it to green belt land with surrounding residential Areas suffering is outrageous

Mostly yes

Fantastic to see that a library is planned. Does the community centre have a room that can be hired for children's parties/group meetings - to encourage socialising.

Mostly yes

Building new schools is great. A big drawback about living in this area currently is the fact that the schools don't have great reputations. Currently there are no local schools in the immediate area I would feel happy sending my child to, compared to what is available in other parts of Cambridge. It would be important to make sure these schools have good reputations. In keeping with the climate and biodiversity focused ethos, the schools should have their own, or access to, green space for learning - e.g. forest schools. A visual and performing arts hub is great in theory - how well used would this be in practice?

Mostly not

The Community Forum submissions to the Issues and Options consultation on this topic were as follows: Adequacy of school facilities. Whilst there is no clear definition of the target demographic or mix of housing or tenures, it is clear that local Secondary schools are full and under stress. They are also inconvenient, so a strong shared view emerged that there should be on-site secondary school provision with adequate ancillary space as well as primary school (and nursery) provision. Adequacy of medical facilities. Accepting that these are facilities provided by third party (private) CCG entities, there was a strong view that adequate health facilities were required including pharmacy. The example of Trumpington should be followed. A settlement of circa 18,000 people will need more than primary care and at least integrated care centres. There also needs to be enhancement of the citywide facilities which the settlement will make additional demands on, such as Addenbrookes. A new Cultural Centre for Cambridge. So far only the idea of occupants feeling so connected by reliable public transport with the centre of Cambridge that they will readily go there for cultural activity has been explored. This of course relies on a proper range of high quality public transport, not just inadequate bus services. Nor does the proximity of the Guided Bus, which is questionably a positive factor, or the railway station offer the means to take people to where they wish to be. However, it is also important to consider using the creation of this community to be the basis for building a new top quality concert hall and venue for Cambridge that will be larger than anything presently on offer, near to the railway station, and of sufficient size and flexibility to serve as a major regional focus – 2,000 plus seats. Shopping Facilities. Everything needs to be done to encourage vibrant independent shops and facilities. This will require affordable rents and the ability for facilities to grow in an organic and flexible manner. Steps may need to be taken to prevent large chains. Providing higher buildings will not in itself provide what is required. Communities. Developing successful communities needs to be a top priority and needs to be given a great deal of thought. Certainly, providing the right facilities and a people centric environment is a start. Thought also needs to be given to how different demographics will live together, as has so lamentably failed at CB1. Marmalade Lane is an example of an alternative approach that much can be learnt from, although it may not work wholesale for everyone. Impact on Citywide Facilities. A development of this size, on top of all the other new developments both built and planned, will make large demands on the citywide facilities. These would include the hospitals, education, arts facilities, night life, social services and local government. It is not clear how these will be expanded to avoid overcrowding, or even where there is space to do so. There don’t appear to be any plans for the developers to contribute to anything outside the actual development and local government has no money. End of cf submission It seems we are supposed to be grateful that a development the size of Ely will have a basic level of facilities. The consultation seems to be only about how the facilities will be arranged, not the fact that they are not adequate for the size of the development. This will create unnecessary travel out of the development and impact already overstretched services in Cambridge. Unfortunately, the community forum’s recommendations are again being ignored. There was major uproar locally when it was suggested that there would not be a secondary school so we were then told that one would be included. It is now being suggested that there won’t necessarily be one provided, just a space in case it might be needed. It is doubly disappointing that the project has gone back on its word on this and I expect major local discontent about this. I don’t know how long an empty space will survive the covetous eyes of the developers anyway. The lack of medical facilities beyond primary care level is also a serious mistake. The way ahead in medical care is widely seen as Integrated Care Centres at a scale between primary and large hospital care. This would be a golden opportunity to start on the right foot. It would also avoid a lot of unnecessary trips to Addenbrookes with the higher internal and external costs involved. It appears there will not be a swimming pool so this is another example of the development being parasitic on the rest of Cambridge. In terms of shopping there need to be cheap rents imposed which will enable useful independent stores to survive, just building them is not enough. Orchard Park has a totally underwhelming shopping centre which, besides a supermarket includes empty shops, an estate agent and a pizza delivery place. For some reason new developments seem to really struggle with pubs. There is not really one at Orchard Park and some give this as a reason for the community not really taking off. Cambourne has one pub which is best avoided at all times. The suggestion of a large cultural centre has not been taken up, another lost opportunity.

Mostly yes

No answer given

Not at all

You 'expect development to provide health facilities, a library, cultural facilities and a community centre', but you do not require it? Evidence from the Nine Wells development shows that such amenities are an afterthought at best, being added after residents try to start their new lives and causing disruption as they live in an ongoing building site.

Yes, completely

Looks like loads of great stuff, very happy about it. Throw a pool in there too and I'm unlikely to spend much time anywhere else

Mostly yes

No answer given

Mostly yes

No answer given

Not at all

Community facilities planned only make sense if the housing development on the sewerage works site is pushed through, with the destruction of greenbelt to accommodate the works relocation. Improving facilities in neighbouring Arbury, Kings Hedges and Green End Road would improve the living conditions of those areas, which will otherwise continue to fall far behind.

Mostly yes

No answer given

Neutral

It seems important to have new health facilities, however to prevent the need for these, I would also recommend more focus on sport facilities to promote a healthy lifestyle - beyond just walking and cycling routes. Outdoor gyms? Basketball Courts? Football pitch?

Mostly not

I would like to see more facilities to play sports - leisure centre, tennis courts etc.

Neutral

No answer given

Not at all

People need more space to exercise, gym and running tracks. There is no proper running track in Cambridge. Any running tracks are owned by the Cambridge University.

Not at all

Where are the nursery schools? Where are all these primary school children going to go on to secondary school? Also human beings die, where are the facilities to deal with this fact of life?

Mostly not

It looks like there are 3 primary schools planned. It would be better to have one large primary school. Would any of these offer SEN specialism? Has any consultation gone on with neighbouring primary schools e.g Milton to see how they might be impacted? In almost all developments these days plans seem to include schools which are just added in without any thought as to genuine need or purpose. Many schools in South Cambs are under capacity and building new schools on developments such as this and Marleigh are not well thought through. These look like they are located on the existing Sewage works site. I'd be concerned about contaminated ground within school precincts. The community centre looks good and I like the arts hub and library.

Mostly yes

No answer given

Mostly yes

Perhaps it would be best to go to a community college approach where community and education facilities are joint, ie libraries, sports halls, meeting rooms. Also there are no public swimming pools in that area so a school/community pool would be good. This could have the highest access standards, no Cambridge pool meets these.

Neutral

A community garden is mentioned, but not apparent in the details. We have to give every chance for people to connect to where their food comes from, and this new development needs a large community farm to serve that purpose, and support a meaningful net zero ambition. The planned schools (3 of them!) are a great opportunity to connect the younger generation to a local, walking distance community farm, as well as the rest of the community. The benefits of this are clear from the Cofarm on Coldham's common and other community farms in the Cambridge area,

Mostly not

Not sufficient youth facilities, and with three primary schools in the plan, surly there should be a secondary school the them to feed into, if not more traveling. A secondary school could also take pupils from Milton, negating the need to travel to Impington VC

Neutral

Three primary schools in one small area is too many. A larger school would be better.

Mostly yes

No answer given

Mostly yes

No answer given

Not at all

Building but no demand?

Not at all

Nobody can predict what the demand for future housing will be because nobody knows if the economy will recover to the same level it was before the COVID crisis or how many years that will take. It's to big a risk to invest millions to move the sewage farm that could be upgraded where it is , and because its state of the ark design we have been assured it doesn't smell as much as the present one.