Comment
Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options
Representation ID: 56485
Received: 06/11/2021
Respondent: Dr Nicholas Hilliard
S/RSC/HW Land between Hinton Way and Mingle Lane, Great Shelford
We strongly object to the release of Green Belt land in Great Shelford.
This site fails to meet the exceptional criteria for Green Belt release. The argument that the Cambridge South Station will be beneficial is flawed - no one will commute to Addenbrooke's from Shelford by train. The Cambridge South Station is much more likely to benefit those commuting from further distances. As someone who works on the Addenbrooke's site I can confirm that none of my colleagues who live in Shelford/Stapleford are planning on using the station, and in fact most of them drive to work - as the short distance is convenient to commute by car. I expect the owners of these 100 new houses are extremely likely to do the same, as the majority of houses are likely to have a high price and therefore have high levels of car ownership.
The site was already rejected in the 2018 Local Plan, for many good reasons, and there is no new relevant information to justify reassessment. Preparing a new Local Plan is not an exceptional circumstance to justify alteration to a Green Belt boundary.
The assessment has failed to consider the proposed Bus Way, which is expected to run directly North of the site. The construction of the Bus Way makes maintaining the intervening Green Belt land of greater importance, which this development would erode.
The site sits exactly on the boundary between Great Shelford and Stapleford, so contributes to the merging of these communities into one continuous suburban settlement, damaging the character of the villages.
There is already a pressure on schooling in the village, with oversubscription of both Shelford and Stapleford schools. This development will only make this worse.
The site will exit onto a narrow 20 mph road. The increased traffic along this road and through the conservation area of Stapleford will detriment the village environment. There is already a major issue with traffic queuing on Hinton Way at the railway crossing, which this development exacerbate.
The use of Green Belt land is directly contrary to your own previous consultation.
We strongly object to the release of Green Belt land in Great Shelford.
This site fails to meet the exceptional criteria for Green Belt release. The argument that the Cambridge South Station will be beneficial is flawed - no one will commute to Addenbrooke's from Shelford by train. The Cambridge South Station is much more likely to benefit those commuting from further distances. As someone who works on the Addenbrooke's site I can confirm that none of my colleagues who live in Shelford/Stapleford are planning on using the station, and in fact most of them drive to work - as the short distance is convenient to commute by car. I expect the owners of these 100 new houses are extremely likely to do the same, as the majority of houses are likely to have a high price and therefore have high levels of car ownership.
The site was already rejected in the 2018 Local Plan, for many good reasons, and there is no new relevant information to justify reassessment. Preparing a new Local Plan is not an exceptional circumstance to justify alteration to a Green Belt boundary.
The assessment has failed to consider the proposed Bus Way, which is expected to run directly North of the site. The construction of the Bus Way makes maintaining the intervening Green Belt land of greater importance, which this development would erode.
The site sits exactly on the boundary between Great Shelford and Stapleford, so contributes to the merging of these communities into one continuous suburban settlement, damaging the character of the villages.
There is already a pressure on schooling in the village, with oversubscription of both Shelford and Stapleford schools. This development will only make this worse.
The site will exit onto a narrow 20 mph road. The increased traffic along this road and through the conservation area of Stapleford will detriment the village environment. There is already a major issue with traffic queuing on Hinton Way at the railway crossing, which this development exacerbate.
The use of Green Belt land is directly contrary to your own previous consultation.