Thank you for the opportunity to take part in this exercise.

I have lived on the Estate since 1988 and very much enjoy being here. SCDC has quite rightly sought to protect its unusual and attractive character which is distinct from Great Abington village as well as typical rural development. However, I agree with GAPC's view that considering it solely as 'countryside' does not take sufficient account of its essentially residential nature and layout uniformity. Its location adjacent to The Abingtons, Granta Park and the A11 trunk road are additional factors.

The 59 properties within the Estate, that use the private road system, occupy more than 600 acres. In current development terms this is under-utilisation on a grand scale. There are now hardly any unextended homes on the Estate - the others have been enlarged significantly, and in some cases very considerably. SCDC has also granted permission for a number of outbuildings to be converted to living accommodation which I support.

But what of the future? Sustainability is a material consideration and I believe the Estate has a valuable contribution to make within the NPPF definition. Granta Park is within walking or cycling distance of the Estate. It employs highly skilled people who contribute a great deal to the economy of South Cambridgeshire. The same can be said of nearby Babraham Institute, and The Wellcome Genome Campus. Providing sufficient, suitable and appealing housing for them nearby is a priority. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is a further examples just over 7 miles away. We can do without anything that contributes to a post-Brexit brain drain.

Estate building land availability is plainly abundant but there have been SCDC concerns about the road system's capacity. Over the last 28 years, as car ownership has increased, I expected there to be some noticeable difference in the volume of traffic movements encountered when using the roads here. However, it hasn't happened.

By far the majority of vehicles using Estate roads are cars and at no time have I ever experienced a problem passing others by use of the passing places. This also applies when large vans are involved. HGVs delivering and collecting (including Council recycling vehicles) are very much fewer in number and are of a size that can be seen a distance away. This allows other road users to get out of the way so delays are avoided. In addition to passing bays, there are many entrance openings which horses and cars can use.

On North Road there are 9 passing bays, South Road has 11 and Chalky Road 4. There is a further passing bay on Cutting Road. This number is generous per mile when compared with any single track public roads I have driven along. Openings mentioned above are considerably more numerous. Some are extensive enough for more than one vehicle. North Road has 26, South Road 34, Chalky Road 15 and Cutting Road 2.

It seems to me that agreeing a Neighbourhood Plan which respects and enhances the quality of Estate life, while allowing planning applications to make greater use of available land, would be highly appropriate. The sheltered nature of the Estate makes it capable of absorbing additional development without being at all visually intrusive. Easy access to the little used A11 bypass/Newmarket Road is pertinent. Agreed development would not involve the loss of normal open countryside nor erosion of precious Green Belt. In view of the very large number of houses being built to serve Cambridge growth, this is important.