Today is the launch of a consultation to give residents, business and stakeholders across South Cambridgeshire district what the council calls “a final chance” to have their say on proposed plans for creating 22,000 new jobs and 5,000 additional new homes over the next 20 years.
Both South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City councils will be consulting on their new Local Plans from Friday 19 July until 5pm on Monday 30 September.
The draft Local Plan for the period 2016 to 2031, which would see a new town built north of Waterbeach, a new village at Bourn Airfield and a major extension to the west of Cambourne to support new jobs being created in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire has been put forward after over 300 possible sites were assessed and 30,000 comments from residents, business, developers and parish councils were considered.
The new homes proposed in the draft Plan are in addition to around 14,000 homes already committed to in South Cambridgeshire’s current Local Plan. Some have already been built or are under construction, while a number of others have planning permission in locations such as on the edge of Cambridge and at the new town of Northstowe.
During two rounds of public consultation over the last year the majority of local people wanted the Council to focus on a plan that would provide additional homes in a new town or village rather than spreading lots of them across existing villages. On reflection, the wording of the consultation questions did not give much option but to choose to have them in new settlements.
According to the council, around 900 of the homes needed are planned in six of the district’s larger villages, including Comberton, which have the best services and public transport links.
In its news release, the council stated that during earlier phases of the public consultation local people were asked to comment on options suggested for the plan. However, in this final stage residents, businesses and anyone with an interest in the future of the district is being given the choice of saying whether they support or object in a format set by government. This will make sure views can be passed on to an independent inspector who will consider whether the plan needs to be changed before it is finalised.
All views submitted in this consultation phase will be considered at a meeting of all councillors in spring 2014 to review comments before the plan is submitted to government for independent examination. The council has not indicated what it would do in the face of overwhelming opposition to the sites selected for the new developments.
The draft plan also includes a number of other policies to help guide development and protect green spaces in villages that are particularly important to local communities.
The Council states that it has been working closely with Cambridge City Council on the overall development strategy and issues affecting both areas as well as Cambridgeshire County Council on its transport strategy to make sure that the places where people live and work or access services are linked up. That also begs the question therefore, as to why Cambridge City is taking so little housing development compared to South Cambridgeshire especially when majority of the jobs will be created in the city.
The County Council’s draft Transport Strategy will also be consulted on at the same time, and sets out policies and proposals to address current transport challenges as well as improvements needed to support future growth to encourage the continued economic prosperity of this area. More information is online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/tscsc, and available at the exhibitions being held by South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council.
The Council is also consulting on a new way money is secured from developments for local facilities – known as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The CIL will standardise the amount developments of different sizes will contribute on a price per square metre basis. This will mean developers and the community know the contribution from the outset rather than it being negotiated as happens under current section 106 agreements.
Representations can be made online at www.scambs.gov.uk/localplan and 16 public exhibitions are also planned so residents can speak to officers to find out more.
Cllr Pippa Corney, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning policy and localism, said: “We are very grateful to all the people who have commented during the two rounds of public consultation as all the views we received have helped shape the draft plan we have put forward. We know there is a great need for more housing in the district to meet the needs of our residents into the future but recognise we must also strike the right balance between growth and protecting our villages and rural environment to keep South Cambridgeshire as one of the best places to live, work and study in the country.
”The Local Plan is about what is best for the whole of South Cambridgeshire and I understand that some people might feel that their comments have not been heard. I can assure you that we have listened to everyone who made representations on the issues and options for the new Local Plan but we may not always have been able to agree. I would urge everyone to take this final chance to tell us your views as this will also make sure these can be passed on to a government inspector for independent review next year.”
Many are however saying, “if you didn’t listen to us in the first two rounds, what confidence do we have that you will listen to or agree with us at this stage?”
Public consultation events and exhibitions are being held across the district in July and September. All events run from 2.30pm to 7.30pm and residents have a chance to see and examine the plans in more detail and ask officers questions on the proposals.
The list of exhibitions are given below and events marked with * are joint events with Cambridge City Council, whilst those in bold are the nearest to residents in Caldecote and Bourn Wards:
July 2013 Exhibitions
19 – Sawston, Spicers Pavilion, Cambridge Road
22 – Linton Village College, Cambridge Road
22 – Trumpington Pavilion, Paget Road *
24 – Comberton Village Hall, Green End
25 – Waterbeach Primary School, High Street
26 – Great Shelford Memorial Hall, Woollards Lane
26 – Cherry Hinton Village Centre, Colville Road *
29 – Bar Hill Village Hall, The Spinney
30 – Cambourne, The Hub, High Street
31 – Cambridge, Meadows Community Centre, St. Catharine’s Road *
September 2013 Exhibitions
2 – Sawston, Spicers Pavilion, Cambridge Road
3 – Caldecote Village Hall, Furlong Way
4 – Gamlingay Eco Hub, Stocks Lane
5 – Histon & Impington Recreation Ground, New Road, Impington
9 – Melbourn, All Saints Community Hall, Station Road
10 – Swavesey Village College, Gibraltar Lane
Anyone going to the exhibitions will do well to ask to see the transport and other infrastructure proposals that are being put forward to “overcome” the negative impact of the proposals to build the three new settlements.
There are a number of ways in which residents can comment on the plan:
- ONLINE CONSULTATION SYSTEM – view documents, make comments online, and view comments received (once they have been registered). Guidance on how to use the system is available on the Instructions webpage.
- Complete the consultation response form (this is available to download as a pdf document to print and complete or to download as a word document to complete and email to us), and return it either: by email to ldf@scambs.gov.uk or by post to Jo Mills, Director of Planning and New Communities, South Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6EA
You can find more details about the local plan at http://www.scambs.gov.uk/localplan
.