The release of the greenbelt land between Babraham Road and Granham's Road is in contradiction to the 2018 plan. Policy 17, in the 2018 Plan, declared that any proposals for development should respect "...key views, especially of and from the chalk hills..". The fields you are proposing for intensive development rise up towards the stunning chalk ridge of the Gog Magog Hills. This is a vista we cannot afford to lose and it is unique for Cambridge. East Anglian chalk is part of the character of the area. In the document Greater Cambridge Green Infrastructure Opportunity Mapping concern was expressed that development was "....eroding the areas of best landscape from the south-east to the southside of the city and in particular the views and chalk downland round the Gogs and the green space between the Biomedical Campus and Nine Wells Nature Reserve". The fields in front of Ninewells are part of this 'best landscape'. We have a responsibility to protect this landscape from development. A sensitive transition is needed between the city and this key vista.

These fields are also close to Nine Wells Nature Reserve. The City Council describes this as a "...historically important site" and claims that "the chalk watercourse are being managed with the aim of re-creating the conditions favourable for a possible re-introduction of .......rare freshwater invertebrates". If these fields are developed they will increase the people moving through the reserve further threatening it. Development of the fields around this important site will threaten the biodiversity corridor. The Cambridge Green Infrastructure Strategy 5.4.2 drew attention to the fact that areas of calcareous grassland '...have become fragmented and need to be expanded and linked together, in order to produce sustainable blocks of habitat". Any development will reduce the green connectivity between Ninewells Nature Reserve and the surrounding hedgerows that support wildlife.

The plan which pushes the edge of the city a far as Granham's Road further weakens the divide between Cambridge and its villages, especially Shelford. Green belt exists to prevent such alterations occurring. The Cambridge & Peterborough Structure Plan Policy (9/2b) said it would "...ensure the protection of green corridors running from open countryside into the urban area". The proposed release of this green belt fails to comply with this policy.

Flooding
Please contact me if you wish to see a flooding report for this area. It is a flood zone 3 and I have photographs of the fields completely water-logged for months at a time. The Ninewells Estate has continuing problems with water, including the children's play area having to be redeveloped and repositioned because of standing water.

Ecological concerns
John Meed's interim report can be read using the following link: https://queen-ediths.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Interim_report_JM_2021.pdf . It shows that this green belt area is extremely valuable for farmland birds of high conservation concern, with exceptional numbers of grey partridge as well as corn bunting and reed bunting. I have photographs of the grey partridges taken on 4th December and have recently seen a kingfisher on several occasions. Grey partridge have declined by 93% in recent decades and are red listed.

The land provides a variety of habitats with hedges, grassy margins and patches of woodland. John Meed reports seeing " muntjac and roe deer, badger, fox, stoat,weasel, rabbit, mole, field and bank vole, and wood mouse, as well ascommon pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and noctule bats." I have not yet seen these animals as I have only lived here for a few months but there is plently of evidence of their existance. The mature hedgerows are full of the burrows of a range of mammals.

Pollution
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus has already caused considerable traffic congestion and demand on local resources. Further growth will exacerbate these problems, not solve them. Residents of the Ninewells Estate already have to struggle with air pollution from standing traffic in Babraham Road.

There is also noise pollution from the Addenbrokes Helicopter service and once the station is developed that will also bring railway noise and vibration to the area. The proposed development of such a large site with many hundreds of new homes will also bring significant AQMA traffic impact without mitigation.

The Ninewells Estate was developed as the soft fringe to the city of Cambridge, not a cell to be completely surrounded by the Biomedical Campus.