Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

OBJECT

The Greater Cambridge City Deal recognised the relationship between housing and economic growth, and that the shortage of available and affordable housing within Greater Cambridge has an impact on house prices, commuting patterns, and recruitment and retention of employees. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal committed to delivering substantial economic growth and to double economic output during the next 25 years. The 2018 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) identified that recent employment growth has been faster than anticipated, and the aim of doubling economic output in the area by 2040 was realistic. It was suggested in CPIER that economic growth could be achieved by attracting knowledge-intensive businesses that would not locate elsewhere in the UK, by delivering new housing, and by prioritising infrastructure projects. The National Infrastructure Commission, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership acknowledge and support the economic growth potential of the Greater Cambridge area, and consider that there is a need to substantially increase housing delivery in order to support that economic growth and address the significant housing affordability issues that exist. At present there is an imbalance between rates of economic growth and housing delivery in Greater Cambridge.

All these factors support a significantly higher number of homes than are proposed in the preferred ‘medium plus’ growth option of Policy S/JH. It is considered that the ‘medium plus’ growth option makes insufficient upward adjustments to the housing requirement (from Section Id.2a of the Planning Practice Guidance) to take into account growth strategies, strategic infrastructure improvements and housing affordability in Greater Cambridgeshire. The ‘medium plus’ growth option also does not reflect the anticipated growth aspirations of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc Spatial Framework, or that the economic success of Greater Cambridge is of national significance.

It is suggested that the emerging GCLP should have selected the higher growth level option to support economic growth, address housing affordability, and reduce in-commuting. The higher growth level option will require infrastructure funding, but there are existing transport improvements already planned for Greater Cambridge and further investment in infrastructure (e.g. water and electricity) will need to be secured as part of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

Requested Change

It is requested that housing and jobs requirements in Policy S/JH are based on delivering the higher growth level option.

OBJECT

Hawkswren Ltd is promoting land off Leaden Hill in Orwell for residential development and representations have requested that this site is allocated in the emerging GCLP. These representations to Policy S/DS are focussed on the preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area, and specifically the decision to allocate a very limited amount of development to the more sustainable villages.

The overall development strategy is very reliant on the delivery of an extensions to an existing new settlement (Cambourne West + an additional 1,950 dwellings at Cambourne), planned new settlements (Northstowe, Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield) and new communities on the edge of Cambridge (North East Cambridge and Cambridge East). It is acknowledged that the principle of development at most of these strategic sites is already established through adopted development plan documents; the additional dwellings at Cambourne is proposed through emerging GCLP and associated with East West Rail. However, it is considered that there are a number of risks associated with the preferred development strategy, which relate to housing delivery rates and whether these can be increased at some new settlements, the relocation of existing uses from some sites, and the delivery of affordable housing.

The most recent housing trajectory for Greater Cambridge (published April 2021) already predict high average annual housing delivery rates for the new settlements; Northstowe and Waterbeach are predicted to deliver 250 dwellings per annum, and Cambourne West and Bourne Airfield are predicted to deliver a combined total of 300 dwellings per annum. Cambourne has historically delivered approximately 230 dwellings per annum. Hampton (in Peterborough) has historically delivered 259 dwellings per annum. Cranbrook (in East Devon) which has the highest annual delivery rate of current new settlements is delivering at 295 dwellings per annum). The Inspector for the Huntingdonshire Local Plan recommended that the combined housing delivery rates Alconbury Weald (the former Alconbury Airfield and Grange Farm) should be no higher than 300 dwellings per annum, and for St Neots East (Loves Farm and Wintringham Park) should be no higher than 200 dwellings per annum. The predicted average housing delivery rates at Northstowe, Waterbeach and Cambourne West/Bourn Airfield already appear to be at levels comparable to or higher than other new settlements elsewhere. It is likely that current predicted delivery rates are already optimistic, but there is no credible evidence that faster housing delivery rates can be achieved at Northstowe or Waterbeach. It is noted that Cambourne, Hampton and Cranbrook all had multiple housebuilders on site at the same time and delivered affordable and market housing in conjunction with one another. It is requested that predicted housing delivery rates for the new settlements take into account the above comments, and the assumption that faster housing delivery rates can be achieved at Northstowe and Waterbeach should be deleted from the development strategy.

North East Cambridge and Cambridge East are allocated in both Local Plans as strategic sites. It is acknowledged that these sites involve the re-use of previously developed land. However, the redevelopment of these sites is complex and involves the relocation of the existing uses; the relocation of a sewage treatment works and existing businesses in the case of North East Cambridge, and the relocation of airport related uses and businesses in the case of Cambridge East. It is considered that the delivery of development at these sites will need to be realistic, taking into account all of the challenges that need to be overcome prior to the commencement of development. It is requested that realistic assumptions about delivery are applied for North East Cambridge and Cambridge East.

It is noted that most of the new settlements will deliver less affordable housing than the normal policy requirement of 40%, mainly because of the need for these developments to also deliver significant levels of new transport and community infrastructure in initial phases. The affordable housing contributions are as follows: 20% at Northstowe, 30% at Waterbeach, 30% at Cambridge East (Wing), 30% at Cambourne West and 40% at Bourn Airfield, although all are subject to a review mechanism that could result in adjustments to the level of affordable housing. The proportion of affordable housing that will be provided from the developments at North East Cambridge and Cambridge East are unknown at this stage, but because of the costs associated with the relocation of existing uses and the delivery of new transport infrastructure it is very unlikely that 40% affordable housing will be provided at least in the initial phases. It is clear that the existing and planned new settlements and new communities in the edge of Cambridge are not and will not provide enough affordable housing, which should be a concern in an area such as Greater Cambridge which has significant housing affordability issues. It is requested that, in order to address the under-delivery of affordable housing from Northstowe, Waterbeach, Cambourne West, North East Cambridge and Cambridge East, the development strategy should allocate additional sites that are capable of providing policy compliant levels of affordable housing including small and medium sites in the villages.

The preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area is based on the assumption that the villages in this area are unsustainable because existing and future residents would need to travel by car to access services and facilities and employment opportunities. It is considered that this assumption is incorrect for some villages, including Orwell which contain a range of services and facilities, are in close proximity to other centres and employment opportunities, and are accessible by sustainable modes of transport and the bus services are due to be improved. In addition, the preferred development strategy for the rest of the rural area provides no support for existing services and facilities in villages and provides no strategy to meet current identified affordable housing needs of villages. Hawkswren are not advocating a dispersed development strategy whereby most development is directed to the villages, but is requesting that a sufficient amount of land is allocated at the more sustainable villages to support services and ensure that identified affordable housing needs are met.

There are three paragraphs in the NPPF that suggest a different approach is required in the development strategy for the rest of the rural area. Paragraph 105 seeks to ensure that development is located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes can be maximised, but acknowledges that the opportunities will be different in urban and rural areas. Paragraph 79 seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas by locating housing where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and enable villages to grow and thrive. Paragraph 62 expects the size, type and tenure of housing needs of the community to be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for example those with an affordable housing need, students, renters and self-builders.

Orwell is identified as a Group Village in the defined settlement hierarchy for South Cambridgeshire. It contains a good range of services and facilities, including a Primary School, Village Store, Post Office, pub, village hall and outdoor recreation areas. It also benefits from a regular bus service with Cambridge which is due to be improved.

South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 12 affordable dwellings in Orwell for those with a local connection to the village – see https://www.scambs.gov.uk/media/18316/affordable-housing-housing-statistical-information-leaflet-december-2019.pdf. This identified need would not be met without allocations in Orwell. It is noted that there is no neighbourhood plan being prepared for the village, no community land trust, and rural housing exception schemes are typically very small and are reliant on a landowner willing to offer land up at existing use value. The promoted development by Hawkswren in Orwell would include self-build housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village.

For all these reasons, small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages which would not be met via other means.

Requested Change

The following changes are requested to Policy S/DS: Development Strategy:

It is requested that predicted housing delivery rates for the new settlements take into account the evidence from similar development elsewhere.

It is requested that the assumptions about faster housing delivery rates for Northstowe and Waterbeach are deleted from the development strategy.

It is requested that realistic assumptions about delivery are applied for North East Cambridge and Cambridge East.

It is requested that additional sites that are capable of providing policy compliant levels of affordable housing are identified in the development strategy, including small and medium sites in the villages, in order to address the under-delivery of affordable housing from Northstowe, Waterbeach, Cambourne West, North East Cambridge and Cambridge East.

It is requested that small scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Orwell, because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages.

As requested in the Hawkswren representations to Section 2.6: Rest of Rural Area, the land off Leaden Hill, Orwell should be allocated in emerging GCLP for residential development.

OBJECT

Hawkswren does not object to the principle of settlement boundaries being defined around villages. However, the existing defined settlement boundaries for most villages in South Cambridgeshire have remained largely unchanged since the Local Plan 2004. The settlement boundaries were adjusted in some cases to take into account allocations at some villages through the Site Specific Allocations DPD 2010 and the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018. It is very likely that most of the development opportunities within existing village boundaries would have been taken up by now. It is also likely that heritage assets within some villages, such as conservation areas and listed buildings, will constrain development opportunities.

The Councils have not undertaken an assessment of capacity within the existing settlement boundaries of villages to accommodate additional development. It is likely that such an assessment would demonstrate that the capacity is limited.

It is considered that the emerging GCLP should seek to allocate suitable sites on the edge of existing sustainable villages and to adjust the settlement boundary to accommodate those allocations. The site promoted by Hawkswren in Orwell is located adjacent to the settlement boundary for the village, is suitable and available for housing, and should be allocated for development. There is a need for additional housing sites in the more sustainable villages, including Orwell, to support existing services and facilities and to meet identified affordable housing needs in those villages.

Requested Change
It is requested that a capacity assessment is undertaken of all villages in South Cambridgeshire to determine which potential housing sites might be deliverable or developable during the plan period to 2041 and the number of dwellings that might be delivered from each of those sites.

If the capacity assessment identifies no suitable sites to meet identified affordable housing needs it is requested that additional allocations are made on the edge of those villages to deliver sufficient housing to meet those affordable housing needs.

Section 2.6: Rest of Rural Area / Policy S/RRA: Allocations in the Rest of the Rural Area

It is considered that the growth of the more sustainable villages must be part of the development strategy for emerging GCLP, and particularly those villages that contain a good range of services and facilities, are accessible by a range of modes of transport, and where there is an identified need for affordable housing for those with a local connection to the village.

Paragraph 79 of the NPPF seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas and acknowledges that housing can enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services. The the promoted development by Hawkswren in Orwell would support the existing services and facilities in the village, including the school, convenience store, post office, public house, mobile library, community centre, and existing and future bus services.

Paragraph 69 acknowledges the role that small and medium sized sites can make towards meeting the housing requirements, and that such sites are often built-out relatively quickly. Small and medium sized sites typically only require limited new physical infrastructure and amendments to the access arrangements. The housing monitoring data from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire confirms that small and medium sites are delivered quickly i.e. within two to three years. It is considered that small and medium sized sites make a significant contribution towards the short term housing land supply and the five year housing land supply position in Greater Cambridgeshire. It is requested that small/medium sized sites, including that promoted by Hawkswren at land off Leaden Hill, Orwell is allocated for residential purposes.

Paragraph 104 of the NPPF expects transport issues to be considered at the earliest stages of plan-making. Those issues include opportunities created by existing or proposed transport infrastructure in terms of the scale, location and density of development, and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. Paragraph 105 expects significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable. The good range of services and facilities within Orwell are all accessible by walking and cycling. Orwell is on existing bus routes, with regular services to Cambridge and a limited service to Royston. The Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections project proposes a more frequent rural bus service for Orwell and as a result some additional growth should be provided to Orwell.

Paragraph 62 of the NPPF expects the size, type and tenure of housing needs of the community to be assessed and reflected in planning policies, including for example those with an affordable housing need, students, renters and self-builders. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified a need for 12 affordable dwellings in Orwell for those with a local connection to the village. This identified need would not be met without allocations in the village. The promoted development by Hawkswren in Orwell would include housing and affordable housing to meet local needs of the village.

For all these reasons, small and medium scale housing allocations should be made in the more sustainable villages within the rest of the rural area, including Orwell, because those villages are accessible by sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to support the existing services and facilities within those villages, and there is an identified need for affordable housing in those villages which would not be met via other means.

Hawkswren promoted the land off Leaden Hill, Orwell as a potential allocation in emerging GCLP that was assessed in the HELAA under Site Ref. 47890. The representations to the assessments in the HELAA comment on the potential constraints identified with the promoted developments and explain how those constraints would be addressed. As set out in the call for site submissions and the supporting technical work for the site, there are no significant constraints at the site promoted by Hawkswren at Leaden Hill in Orwell. For example, the site is outside the Green Belt. The site is not at risk to flooding and there are no designated heritage assets nearby. The trees and hedgerows on the site would be retained. An acceptable access can be provided to serve the development and importantly the proposals would not prejudice highway safety at this location. The promoted development would also include biodiversity enhancement measures.

For all these reasons it is requested that the site promoted by Hawkswren in Orwell is allocated allocated for residential development in emerging GCLP:

• land off Leaden Hill – for approximately 8 self/custom build and 5 affordable units to meet need/ demand locally

The call for sites submissions were accompanied by Supporting Documents (prepared by Twenty-Nine Architecture Ltd) which included an Indicative Masterplan Concept Plan for the promoted developments. An updated Site Plan for 13 units accompanies the submission.

Requested Change

It is requested that the development strategy for the rest of the rural area includes an additional allocation in Orwell.

It is requested that land off Leaden Hill, Orwell is allocated with the following policy requirements:

• Site Area of 0.8 Ha
• Capacity for 8 self/custom build dwellings and 5 affordable dwellings
• Delivery of open space and landscaping
• Main access from Leaden Hill
• Improvements to carriageway on Leaden Hill
• Development should address the following constraints:
o Retain and enhance existing trees and hedgerows at site
o Upgrade existing access road.

A key aim of the Sustainability Appraisal process is to make a plan more sustainable. It tests the social, economic and environmental impacts of various plan options, to help choose the most sustainable options. It also seeks to determine the extent to which the principles of sustainable development are integrated into the plan and its policies.

It is considered by Hawkswren that the Sustainability Appraisal has not sought to make emerging GCLP more sustainable, and in respect of villages it appears that the assessment against sustainability objectives is not robust because it does not critically review the evidence provided by the Councils. For example, some villages have good access by sustainable modes of transport and contain a good range of services and facilities, there is an identified need for affordable housing in most villages which is ignored in the assessment process, and there is limited capacity within existing settlement boundaries for villages to accommodate additional development.

The sustainability objectives that are relevant to Hawkswrens’ representations are: SA1 Housing; and, SA2 Access to Services and Facilities.

The Hawkswren representations and requested amendment to the assessment of policy options in the Sustainability Appraisal are as follows:

• Table 5.4: Policy S/DS: Development Strategy: A ‘significant positive effect/uncertain’ score is identified in the assessment for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). However, as set out in the Hawkswren representations to Policy S/DS, there are no housing allocations made in most villages, including Orwell, and as such the identified needs for affordable housing in the villages would not be met by the preferred development strategy. South Cambridgeshire District Council's 'Housing Statistical Information Leaflet' (December 2019) identified affordable housing needs for those with a local connection in all villages – see https://www.scambs.gov.uk/media/18316/affordable-housing-housing-statistical-information-leaflet-december-2019.pdf. That information is not reflected in the assessment contained in Table 5.4. The identified need for 12 affordable dwellings in Orwell will not be met by the preferred development strategy, which must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective. Hawkswren has requested that land off Leaden Hill is allocated for housing and affordable housing to deliver positive housing related sustainability outcomes.

• Table 5.6: Policy S/SB: Settlement Boundaries. A ‘mixed significant positive and minor negative effect’ score is identified for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). As set out in Hawkswrens’ representations to Policy S/SB, the settlement boundaries at most villages have remained largely unchanged since 2004 and there has been no assessment of capacity within settlement boundaries to accommodate additional development. The assessment in Table 5.6 does not consider whether any capacity exists within the settlement boundaries to accommodate the identified needs for affordable housing. Orwell is an example where there are no opportunities within the boundary to accommodate major developments that would require affordable housing i.e. 10 or more dwellings. As set out above there is an identified need for at least 12 affordable dwellings in Orwell. It must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective if affordable housing needs of villages, including Orwell, will not be met by the currently defined settlement boundaries.

• Table 5.22: Policy S/RRA: Allocations in the Rest of the Rural Area: A ‘mixed significant positive and minor negative effect’ score is identified for the housing sustainability objective (SA1). A ‘mixed significant negative and minor positive effect’ score is identified for access to services and facilities objective (SA2). As set out above there is an identified need for 12 affordable dwellings in Orwell, and it must be a negative outcome for the housing related sustainability objective if affordable housing needs of villages, including Orwell, will not be met by the development strategy or the strategy for rural areas. Orwell contains a good range of services and facilities, including primary school, convenience store, post office, public house, mobile library, community centre, and outdoor recreation areas. The accessibility to services and facilities is good for Orwell, and the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections proposes improvements to bus services, but these factors are not reflected in the assessment for this sustainability related objective, and additional development in this village would improve the sustainability outcomes and support the existing services and facilities.

It is requested that land off Leaden Hill is allocated in the emerging GCLP to deliver better and more positive sustainability outcomes compared with the preferred development strategy.