Plans proposed for Bourn Airfield development, Waterbeach and West Cambourne

The news today that South Cambridgeshire District Council has agreed growth plans jointly with Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridge City council was welcome. However, what is less welcome and certainly very concerning is the proposal to build three new new villages at Waterbeach, Bourn Airfield and Cambourne West.

Bourn Airfield Development and West Cambourne are along the A428 west of Cambridge which currently has poor transport links, and the proposal has the potential to create one long ribbon of development from Hardwick to the Caxton Gibbet roundabout.

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Growth Strategy

The news release by South Cambridgeshire District Council states that

“Three local councils have announced plans that put new jobs, the economy and quality of life at the heart of development plans to maintain Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire as one of the best areas to live and work in the country.

 

Growth plans for the next 20 years revealed today (Tuesday 14 May) would see a new town built at Waterbeach, a new village on a brown field site at Bourn Airfield, an extension of Cambourne and homes on the edge of Cambridge to provide well‑connected and much-needed housing to support around 44,000 new jobs forecast to be created in the area up until 2031.

 

Council bosses have said that forecasted population and economic growth means an additional 8,800 homes will be needed by 2031 in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. This is on top of just over 24,000 homes already being built or in agreed plans, on sites in and on the edge of Cambridge as well as at the new town of Northstowe.”

 

Distribution of houses to be built

 

The forecast for jobs growth by 2031 is 22,000 for South Cambridgeshire and 22,000 for Cambridge City. To support these jobs, 19,000 homes are needed in South Cambridgeshire, of which 14,000 are already accounted for in current plans (mainly developments on the edge of Cambridge and Northstowe), and 14,000 will be needed in Cambridge City, of which 10,200 are already in current plans.

 

Waterbeach

new town is planned to have 8,000 homes, of which 1,400 are expected to be built over the next 20 years. The councils state that committing to a new town at that location now will help provide high quality homes well into the future with good facilities and public transport links.

 

Bourn Airfield Development

This is planned to take 3,500 homes in total, and it is expected that less than 1,500 would be built before 2031 giving flexibility in plans as large developments take a longer time to get off the ground, up to 10 years probably as in the case of Northstowe. A secondary school is also planned for the new Bourn Airfield Development.

 

Cambourne West

is described as an extension of Cambourne, and 1,500 homes are expected to be built, all by 2031.

 

Discussions by Local members at workshops had indicated little or no appetite for the proposed Bourn Airfield development, particularly because of the threat of turning a green corridor into a ribbon of development along the A428 corridor, in effect creating a concrete jungle. It would seem however that this concern has largely been overuled.

 

When I asked for clarification on how the council intends to prevent the settlements from becoming one ribbon of development or overwhelming Caldecote, the council was keen to provide assurance that the design of the new settlement will be such that the outlook will be soft, and the line of development will be moved back from the A428 so that it does not have an overbearing impact. In addition, it maintained that all efforts will be made to keep a separation between the two villages.

 

That assurance does not in my opinion hold any water, particular with the residents of Caldecote, a small village that now finds itself potentially juxtaposed right next to the proposed Bourn Airfield Development. I hereby put South Cambridgeshire District Council on notice that Caldecote will fight hard and will not compromise to keep its identity intact and its outlook from being spoiled.

 

Members were informed about the proposals today at South Cambs Hall. These larger sites put forward for development will now be discussed by councillors of the three local authorities at the Joint Strategic Transport and Spatial Planning Group on Wednesday 22 May before meetings at South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Councils finalise their draft Local Plans for consultation over the summer.

 

Green Belt is protected

Most of the proposals put forward for development on the green belt have been ruled out for the draft Plan including a possible community stadium. Both Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils have said that evidence of a need for the facility wasn’t found and a number of the options considered for the facility would significantly impact on the green belt.

 

Some modest changes to the green belt are proposed for up to 480 homes at Worts’ Causeway, as well as allocating land for employment next to ARM – a world-leading high tech firm on Fulbourn Road. A small expansion of an existing site between Huntingdon and Histon roads is also proposed, although this would not increase the overall number of homes currently planned but instead provide more room to ensure a high quality development.

 

Regeneration is also planned for Cambridge Northern Fringe around the new Cambridge Science Park Station that is proposed to begin being built next year. This would create a new gateway to the northern part of Cambridge and to South Cambridgeshire with high density mixed employment led development.

 

 

Transport Strategy

 

Both Councils have apparently been working with Cambridgeshire County Council to ensure development is linked up with a well-planned transport strategy. The strategy is said to align with the growth plans to ensure that the new transport network can cater for the projected growth. The plan seems to be to provide “sustainable” transport capacity between the key employment clusters and destinations in and around the city and to where people live and access services.

 

The strategy claims to recognise the great potential in the area for more people to walk, cycle or take a bus or train, and proposes a range of improvements to accommodate growth while maintaining current levels of accessibility. That remains to be seen.

 

Further Options

 

Employment and housing sites in Cambridge and at South Cambridgeshire villages will be announced by the two councils separately.

 

Cambridge City Council will publish planned development sites within Cambridge on 20 May to be discussed at the City’s Development Plan Scrutiny Sub-committee on 29 May.

 

South Cambridgeshire’s smaller village sites will be published on Monday 3 June and discussed at the Planning Policy and Localism portfolio holder’s meeting on Tuesday 11 June.

 

Development sites agreed by the councils will be consulted on this summer as part of the draft Local Plans for the two areas. The draft transport strategy for the areas will be consulted on at the same time. The consultations will run between Friday 19 July and Monday 30 September.

 

Cllr Pippa Corney, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning policy and localism, said:

“Our highly successful local economy means we are in an enviable position of having thousands of new jobs being created over the next 20 years and we must have a dynamic and flexible plan to support growth. Many people have told us they favour development being focussed around Cambridge or in a new town or new village and we have listened to our residents to put forward a plan to provide much‑needed and well-connected high quality homes. South Cambridgeshire is consistently voted as one of the top places to live and work in the country due our high employment rates, good education and rural lifestyle which this plan will enhance and protect.”

 

Cllr Tim Ward, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate Change, said:

“The new local plan for Cambridge proposes a strategy that supports the continuation of Cambridge as a compact, attractive and accessible city where the quality of life and place underpins economic success and the opportunity for sustainable living. The plan identifies how Cambridge can meet its needs for homes and jobs and continue to make its important contribution locally, nationally and internationally to research and knowledge-based sectors.”

 

What do you say?

No doubt you the reader will have your views on this. If you have found this article useful, please share it with your friends and neighbours and let me know what you think.

 

I would particularly like to hear from residents of Caldecote with their views on the proposed Bourn Airfield Development.

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