Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

SmithsonHill supports the expressed aim to encourage a flourishing and mixed economy, including the objective to “maintain the area’s global reputation for innovation”. It also supports the provision of “significant quantities of housing” which is essential to sustain the economic objectives.

Greater Cambridge has demonstrated the effectiveness of the economic ‘clustering’ phenomenon in particular with a distinct established southern life sciences cluster, involving major business parks with world leading facilities, which are continuing to grow strongly.

The importance of this area is recognised and identified by the local plan first proposals document, including through the definition of the “rural southern cluster” policy area.

The November 2020 sustainability appraisal identifies and assesses an option for “supporting a high-tech corridor by integrating homes and jobs (southern cluster)”. This option “performs well” in the appraisal.

Accordingly it is considered that it is logical for the vision and aims of the plan to include reference to achieving a balance spatially in the location of jobs and homes, which will be particularly relevant in sustaining the continuing economic growth and success of the rural southern cluster.

There is a need to allocate additional employment land to sustain the continuing growth of the rural southern cluster. SmithsonHill draws attention to the merits of its Hinxton site in this respect.

There is a mismatch between the economic potential of the innovative and fast growing agglomeration of major science and technology based employment sites in the rural southern cluster and the scale of employment land and new homes currently being planned for in the local area to support it.

SmithsonHill is beginning to explore the option to adapt and amend its AgriTech park proposal at Hinxton (site previously subject to planning inquiry and put forward to the local plan call for sites process as an employment-led site) to support a wider mix of employment uses.

The Wellcome Trust is also innovating in the form of employment and housing investment it is making at the Genome Campus at Hinxton to provide more of a homes and jobs balance; an approach could be extended further across the rural southern cluster to support the important economic role of the area whilst helping to manage the length of travel to work journeys and related carbon emissions.

It is noted that the November 2020 sustainability appraisal identifies an assessment option involving supporting a high-tech corridor by integrating homes and jobs (southern cluster). At paragraph 4.11 of the appraisal it is concluded that this option “performs very well”, however the option doesn’t appear to have been developed further for the purposes of the current consultation – either in terms of a search for a new settlement or through the investigation of other spatial development forms that may have the scale and potential to achieve similar sustainability benefits.

On page 39 of the first proposals consultation document it is stated that:

“We also have evidence that locating homes close to existing and proposed jobs at the cluster of research parks to the south of Cambridge would help reduce commuting and associated carbon emissions and congestion. We are supporting both jobs and homes growth in this area, through rolling forward a number of existing housing allocations, and by identifying new allocations, including for jobs at Babraham Research Campus, jobs and tied homes confirming the existing planning permission at Wellcome Genome Campus, and a number of housing sites at well-connected villages in the area.”

It is considered that the scale of new homes and employment land proposed for the rural southern cluster is not commensurate with the economic growth potential of this area, including SmithsonHill’s proposed employment site.

The status of the SmithsonHill site is that it remains available, deliverable and viable. The site would be an opportunity to bring nationally significant benefits to the economy and create a significant amount of jobs in the Greater Cambridge area.

SmithsonHill supports an approach that reflects the continuing strength of the Greater Cambridge economy which is of national importance and the need to plan for higher employment plus the related housing figures.

SmithsonHill recognises the benefit of a proposed development strategy for Greater Cambridge which seeks to direct development to where it has the least climate impact, where active and public transport is the natural choice, where green infrastructure can be delivered alongside new development, and where jobs, services and facilities can be located near to where people live.

Furthermore, it is right for the strategy to be realistic around the locational limits of some new jobs floorspace which is centred upon national and global economic clusters.

Knowledge-intensive firms and technology clusters compete on the world stage. It is the correct approach to deliver an objective to support economic growth and maintain Greater Cambridgeshire’s position as world leader in research and technology based industries by continuing to support proposals that build on the successful employment clusters.

Clusters typically refer to a collection of parks or small developments in close proximity that contain multiple occupiers carrying out similar functions.

It is worth noting that, whilst the ‘Cambridge cluster’ may be taken very broadly to include an area of about 20 miles around the city, in terms of the reality on the ground, and the commercial market, there are distinct clusters with perhaps the most notable being the concentration of life sciences sector activity to the south of the city (as acknowledged by the plan’s employment evidence) with major facilities in south Cambridgeshire including Babraham Research Campus, the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus and Granta Park.

A key aspect of clustering is the way in which co-location allows businesses and other institutions that operate in the same sector to collaborate and draw on each other’s knowledge and expertise. Access to the best scientific talents as well as to complementary skills offered by workers in allied fields is also critical.

Whilst the current development strategy proposes “some” development in the rural area south of Cambridge, the rural southern cluster, “where homes and jobs can be located close to each other and served by good quality public transport, cycling and walking links”, it is considered that the scale of the proposals and ambition is inadequate – both in terms of employment and housing sites.

There is a mismatch between the economic potential of the innovative and fast growing agglomeration of science and technology based employment sites in the rural southern cluster and the amount of employment land and new homes being planned locally to support it.

It is noted that the November 2020 sustainability appraisal identifies the option for supporting a high-tech corridor by integrating homes and jobs (southern cluster). At paragraph 4.11 of the appraisal it is concluded that this option “performs very well”, however the option doesn’t appear to have been developed further for the purposes of the current consultation either in terms of a search for a new settlement or through the investigation of other development form(s) that may have the scale and potential to achieve similar sustainability benefits.

On page 39 of the first proposals consultation document is it stated that:
“We also have evidence that locating homes close to existing and proposed jobs at the cluster of research parks to the south of Cambridge would help reduce commuting and associated carbon emissions and congestion. We are supporting both jobs and homes growth in this area, through rolling forward a number of existing housing allocations, and by identifying new allocations, including for jobs at Babraham Research Campus, jobs and tied homes confirming the existing planning permission at Wellcome Genome Campus, and a number of housing sites at well-connected villages in the area.”

It is considered that the plan should also consider the additional employment potential of SmithsonHill’s Hinxton site to support the continuing growth of the economic cluster in life sciences and technology related activities, together with a scale of new homes in the wider area that is commensurate to the existing and future economic growth potential of the rural southern cluster.

Whilst the current development strategy proposes “some” development in the rural southern cluster, where homes and jobs can be located close to each other and served by good quality public transport, cycling and walking links, it is considered that the scale of the proposals and ambition is inadequate.

There is a mismatch between the economic potential of the innovative and fast growing agglomeration of science and technology based employment sites in the rural southern cluster and the scale and nature of new homes and employment sites being planned for locally to support it.

It is imperative that all opportunities to promote economic growth are taken, particularly, where this can increase the competitiveness of the UK economy and stimulate job creation and skills development. It is important that there is both sufficient and the right type of business space to meet the needs of those who want to locate in the area.

The Wellcome Trust is innovating through the form of employment and housing investment it is making at the Genome Campus at Hinxton, but this approach requires extending further across the rural southern cluster in view of the wider economic potential.

SmithsonHill is beginning to explore the option to adapt and amend its AgriTech proposal at Hinxton (site previously subject to planning inquiry and put forward to the call for sites as an employment-led site) to support a wider mix of employment uses that support the ongoing successful development of the growth cluster.

In relation to SmithsonHill’s site at Hinxton the following is emphasised:

• The strategic significance of the location in the rural southern cluster, close to Whittlesford Parkway Station, and the absence of green belt designation in respect of the site itself
• The potential of the site to support the AgriTech sector and wider science related activity through bespoke employment accommodation
• Ambition to deliver a place with the highest social, economic and environmental credentials – including net gain in terms of biodiversity – noting the scale of the available site area
• Reflecting the AgriTech park planning appeal decision, the need to explore an amended site development strategy that can better mitigate the impact of built development on the character and appearance of the landscape and the setting of heritage assets.

There is a need to consider the future role of SmithsonHill’s Hinxton site within the wider context of a very economically important area with several major developments coming forward, including the Wellcome Trust’s proposals and Huawei’s R&D and manufacturing centre at the ‘Spicers site’, Sawston, combined with the need for a more balanced, sustainable and joined up approach. This suggests a broader and more integrated development strategy is appropriate to support the rural southern cluster including additional employment land at SmithsonHill’s site (which is spatially located within the heart of the economic cluster) and residential development more widely.

By reference to Figure 40 of the first proposals plan, SmithsonHill notes that its site at Hinxton is strategically placed in the centre of this area - outside of green belt, immediately north of the Genome Campus policy area, and adjacent to Whittlesford Parkway Station.

It is considered that there is substantial potential for future proposals on this land to contribute positively to the rural southern cluster.

SmithsonHill will be further exploring this potential, with the option to adapt and amend its AgriTech proposal (site previously subject to planning inquiry and put forward to the call for sites as an employment-led site) to involve a broader mix of employment uses.