Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

Oakington and Westwick Parish Council object to the inclusion of S/RRA/MF (Land at Mansel Farm, Station Road) as a development for 20 houses.
1. The proposed site is within the Green Belt. We object to any development in the green belt. Acceptance that certain areas of green belt can be used for development will lead to large amounts of green belt land being used for development in the longer term. The Green Belt should be kept in its entirety.
2. The proposed site is within 100 metres of the boundary of Northstowe, which will comprise of 10,000 homes. It is difficult to see any justification for an additional 20 homes beyond this boundary.
3. We are concerned that if 20 houses are allowed on this site, a precedent will be set for additional numbers of houses in Oakington and Westwick.
4. This area of land is adjacent to a flood risk area.
5. There is significant archaeological work which would need to be done before any construction. This would make 20 houses uneconomical.
6. The site falls outside the Northstowe Development Area
7. The results of the traffic flow evaluation conducted on behalf of Homes England for the Northstowe development show that Oakington will reach saturation point within the next five years.
8. We do not accept that the existence of a guided busway stop near the proposed site justifies the construction of additional housing, given the sheer scale of Northstowe and the destruction of green belt land.

The Local Plan posits a very significant increase in housing within Greater Cambridge. It assumes that sufficient water will be available to meet housing needs. However, the Greater Cambridge Local Plan strategy (https://www.scambs.gov.uk/local-plan-initial-evidence-findings-published/) states that there is inadequate supply of water for the proposed housing.
No clear proposals are put forward within the strategy documents to resolve this water situation.
The entire housing strategy therefore has no basis in reality!