YouTube Transcript:
Greater Cambridge Local Plan Development Strategy Update January 2023 Webinar

right however everybody that's joined uh
on our new local plan webinar
um this webinar is produced to the
latest stage uh in the preparation of
the greater Cambridge local plan
uh we try and do webinars each time
there is a significant event in our plan
making process you may recall and find
on a website we did a number of webinars
on the topics for the local plan uh
where we consulted on the first
proposals
um around a year ago
and this is an update having just
published a report on the next steps for
our plan that's currently being
considered by members
um we're going to go through uh our
presentation to take you through the
content of those reports to really
describe what they're doing and what the
next steps is for our local plan
you should also find on the webinar
there will be a q a
where you can post questions to us and
once we've completed the presentation we
will try and answer some of your
questions uh which you put to us live on
the webinar
and if not we'll also try and pick up
some of the questions and add to our
FAQs on the website as well
so first of all I'm going to introduce
myself and my team I'm John Dixon the
planning policy manager for the greater
Cambridge planning service I'll ask my
team if they introduce themselves
starting with Caroline hunt
good afternoon everyone I'm Caroline
handtime strategy and economy manager uh
working with John on leading for the
local plan
and Stuart hi I'm Stuart Morris I'm a
principal policy officer working in John
and Caroline's team
Jenny
now we've lost Jenny at the moment uh
Nancy
hello my name is Nancy Kimberly and I'm
a principal planning policy officer
um we've got Simon as well on the call
I'm assignment I'm the communications
and engagement lead
thank you uh Jenny unless you can pick
up I'm going to move on Jenny is one of
our principal officers who's worked on
the report as well
um right well we'll move straight on to
the presentation but we won't ask the
questions we go through feel free to add
to the Q a
so
um
first of all it's worth reminding
everybody where we are in our plan
making journey and the Journey's been
going on for some time
we started uh work on our local plan in
2019 uh this followed the adoption of
the Castle's current plans which were
adopted in 2018 at that time it was
agreed that due councils of Cambridge
and South Cambridge should work together
and produce a single joint plan for the
green to Cambridge area
and we started that process in 2019
we're going out and talking with
um stakeholders parishes consultees
about the sort of issues that our plan
should be addressing what were the
things it needed to look at in Greater
Cambridge
and this led us to our first major
public consultation
on the first conversation in January
February 2020
and that really focused on the issues
that we felt were particularly relevant
to the plant had started to shape those
themes
and look at the options we could use to
address those and you'll recall you did
a huge number of events uh in public
going around the districts uh we held
our big conversation event in the
Cambridge Court exchange and this
resulted in thousands of comments uh
talking about how we should shape the
local plan
uh we then published
um various bits of evidence
on
um where the plan was going uh and the
key evidence that would inform it
and this led to the next consultation
which we held in November and December
2021 and this was called our first
proposals
and this plan consultation was able to
say specifically what at that time we
considered the needs were that the plan
needs address so in terms of homes and
jobs and infrastructure and so on
um it identified proposals as to what
sites the councils felt should be used
to meet those development needs and a
range of policies that will be used to
guide how that development would take
place it was accompanied by
um a library of evidence which looked
into the various topics the plan was
addressing we tested the hundreds of
sites suggestions that have been put to
us at that point to guide that
consultation all those documents are
very much still present in the library
on our local plan
uh the web page
again we got many thousands of comments
from uh Parish castles resident
Association consulties and many many
members of the public
and I get all those results are
available to view on our website we
reported the findings to members of both
councils in the summer last year and
we've been exploring those issues raised
ever since
when we reported those results we said
um that we would come back to members in
January
and that we would bring back updated
evidence regarding our needs for homes
and jobs that we had committed to look
at in order to explore issues like the
impact of the covid pandemic and making
sure you had the most up-to-date
information and they would we would um
provide more information on the
direction we were taking with our
strategy and that's the reports we're
looking at today now this isn't a public
consultation stage
this is all about helping us with our
journey and being transparent about how
we are preparing the plan
all the information we've prepared and
the process we're going through will
inform
the draft plan that we are now going to
prepare
um The Next Step will be consultation on
a draft plan in the Autumn this year
and at that point will be the chance for
people to comment on the eventual
updated proposals and a full draft plan
as to what needs we think exist
how the shipping met and the policies
that would guide them so that will be
the next chance to really put in
comments on the local plan the evidence
we're talking about today
now the plan making program is quite
long they always take quite a long time
they're very complex plans to produce
that involve an awful lot of public
consultation
once the draft local plan has been
consulted on this year again the
councils will look very much into all
the comments and respond to all issues
received
but we will move on to having a
consultation on the plan that the
councils want to adopt so the proposed
submission plan
now that's going to be we anticipate in
2024 there's a bit of a Time Gap there
because
um one of the issues we need to await
the outcome of is the planning process
that is underway looking at relocation
of the Cambridge wastewater treatment
works which we'll pick up more on later
in the presentation
so again that proposed submission stage
there'll be a chance to comment and
those comments will be considered uh
through an examination when the go when
the councils submit the plans just to
the government to say they want to adopt
them there's an examination where an
independent inspector
will explore the issues raised in those
comments and it's the job of the
inspector to produce a report and
confirm whether the plan is sound and
can be adopted by the castles
so you can see we're significantly into
the process but we've still got a fair
way to go before we get to an actual
adoption of a plan
just to remind on the contents of that
plan what is has become very clear
through this process
and the consultation we've done so far
is the plan is taking a really strong
shape around a series of big themes
and those are climate change
biodiversity and green space well-being
and social inclusion and great places
and those themes reflect
um the priorities of the councils in and
their objectives
but also would be used to very much
shape how we deliver the homes jobs and
infrastructure that the area needs so
whilst we're focusing very much today on
I guess strategic issues
around homes and jobs and the overall
key sites it's important to remember
there is still a wider plant or very
much shape around those seams to make
sure we look at all aspects of
sustainability and how we develop the
area
this particular report that we're going
to go through today
um reports on the updated evidence that
we've commissioned on the need for jobs
and homes in the area
we then explore the provision of
employment and housing so the
implications of that new evidence
are the reports seek to confirm
development strategy principles that
would guide how those needs are met
and then we really use this report to
confirm some of the key building blocks
for the plan in terms of the key sides
and at that point I'll hand over to my
colleague Caroline hunt who will take
you through the remainder of the
presentation on those on those sections
thank you John um I'm hoping you're
going to be able to hear me okay I seem
to be having some connection
difficulties today
um but I'm keeping my fingers crossed
that you'll be able to hear me okay I'm
also going to leave my camera off and to
try and Max my broadbands for my for my
sound
um so when we prepare a local plan uh
our starting point is the uh National
planning policy framework produced by
government that sets the context for all
all plan making around the country
um and it's very clear that councils
have to have a clear understanding of
their objectively assessed need for
housing and other uses in in their area
and to look to address those needs over
the plan period unless they're a really
significant adverse impacts of doing so
that would outweigh the benefits of
Meeting those needs so that's our
starting point
the first proposals
um
included evidence from specialist
Consultants into the forecast jobs and
homes needs uh
in the area as as forecast at that at
that point in time
the data was ahead of the covid pandemic
and we were really Keen to make sure we
kept that
to date so we we have looked to
update that that evidence for this this
stage and for the draft plan
at the time of the first proposals we uh
included a Target to meet housing needs
in full and included the sites to meet
them so you start with your needs and
then you work out what your target
should be and we also included a 10
buffer to give greater confidence that
those needs would be met during the plan
period because circumstances can can
change
but we were also very clear that those
proposals were contingent on there being
no unacceptable harm to the environment
particularly the water environment
because we were aware that was a
significant issue in this area and I'll
say more about that
um
shortly
but looking first at the uh need for
homes and jobs
uh we started as as all plans do with
understanding what the minimum number of
homes that we need to plan for using
government's standard method
it is described as a minimum need
um uh and you then have to look and see
whether there are reasons why you would
do something different than meet the
standard method number of homes
so the approach that was taken in our
evidence was to identify the standard
method number of homes but then to
understand the number of jobs that would
support
and it was very clear at that point that
the number of jobs supported by the
standard method homes calculation was
significantly less than the forecast
number of jobs uh that would come
forward
um
and there are consequences of of not
meeting your needs in full and we'll
we'll say a little bit about that that
shortly too
um so we also wanted to understand the
number of homes that would be needed to
actually support the forecast number of
jobs uh so that's the approach we took
in terms of the numbers that generated
um we
uh we have updated the standard method
calculation which is very similar a few
hundred uh difference only from the
standard method that supported the first
proposals
um and you can see that the standard
method uh updated in 2022 number of
homes
um supports of 37 000 supports just over
43 000 jobs
um at the time of our first proposals
the evidence was forecasting over 58 000
jobs coming forward in our plan period
between 2020 and 2041 and it now
forecasts that those the number of jobs
likely to come to the area is now rather
more from 8 000 more and now over 66 and
a half thousand new jobs in in that
period
um and this very much looks at
um uh understanding the impacts of covid
so whilst covid had uh led to a fall in
some population related jobs things like
retail food and accommodation arts and
Recreation and so on
um fall during the pandemic and then and
then arise
um expected
um to carry on through the plant the
plan period but what was really notable
is that there's been real resilience and
actually continued strong growth in the
investment LED and the entire knowledge
intensive sectors that are really
um really important in in the greater
Cambridge area particularly things like
ICT and Life Sciences we're all familiar
with
um
things like AstraZeneca coming to the
area having the welcome trust in in our
area and so on so a really important
area for the for those
um and and we also have a few more years
data than we had for our first estimates
and they really do show that there's
that strong demand uh still continuing
in in the area even through the pandemic
and so we think those forecast uh jobs
are
are likely to be uh
the most reasonable figures for for us
to use and that means that there's then
an increase in the number of homes that
we would need to provide to support
those jobs
um and uh that's an increase of over 7
000 on the first proposals
now it's important to uh to to remember
that we're not starting from scratch
here we already have our 2018 adopted
local plans that include a significant
number of Sites Big sites that will
continue to develop through our new plan
period so the likes of northstone water
beach near town now is uh with its
permissions some of the Fringe sites
still building out so Eddington in the
Northwest for example
um and and so on so we have over 37 000
homes already in our current Supply
and uh and the first proposals
identified over another eleven half
thousand
um more homes through through new sites
and and assumed acceleration of delivery
at northstone Water Beach based on our
our evidence
um so the if we were to meet these new
needs in full that's around another 8
000 or so uh more homes that would need
to be planned for to meet those needs in
in full
so thinking what's about the right
approach for the draft local plan
as I said the starting point is that
National
planning policy requires us to meet
those needs in full if that's possible
and appropriate but the next step will
be for the councils to understand
whether it is possible to do that in a
sustain with a sustainable and
deliverable plan that would meet those
needs in full
we know there are constraints around
water supply and I will talk about that
in a moment
um housing delivery is also quite an
important issue when you start to talk
about
um such
um
levels of of growth
um and also it's important that we
understand the consequences of not
meeting our needs in full because if we
don't and the economy continues to grow
as forecast
uh that could put added pressure on
affordability of housing which we know
is a really big issue in this area
already
and a more longer distance commuting
from outside of Greater Cambridge with
the climate impact that could have if
it's not by sustainable mode so we need
to make sure we understand in the round
uh before we land on a particular Target
for the plan so to be really clear
there's no decision at this time on what
the target for the plan should be that
will be something for the draft plan
later in the year
so looking at water a little bit further
um we know that water supply is a really
important issue in this area the health
of our chalk streams is a really key
issue
um members of those councils were
absolutely clear that water supply and
its environmental impacts was something
that was really important as I say the
first proposals will contingent on
understanding that there would would be
adequate water supply
um and and it was a really important
issue that came up in many many of the
comments to our first proposals
consultation
um it is an important issue because
water supply for great for greater
Cambridge is extracted from the chalk
aquifer that feeds those water courses
um and we know that there are already
issues so it's really important to
understand
how much and when and uh water supply
there will be and when uh increased
Supply will be available
so for the first time a regional Water
Resources plan has been prepared by
Water Resources East
that was published in draft for
consultation in November and that
consultation is still running until into
February
um
and it proposes two sources of
additional Supply to that will serve our
area
um a water transfer from Magnum Walters
area to the north
um by 2030 or maybe a bit earlier
and also a new Reservoir in the fence
um expected to be operating by 20 35 to
37 the regional plan says
so we know there's more water supply
coming
um but what we don't know at this stage
is what that looks like on a year by
year basis over our our plan period And
how that would compare to our first
proposals
um and indeed any additional growth that
might need to be planned to meet these
in the increased needs I I just talked
you through
greater level of detail will come in the
Water Resource Management plan that
Cambridge water will prepare the local
water companies have to provide their
own plans that set out in all detail how
they will meet needs in their particular
local area
that was due out alongside the regional
plan but has yet to be published so at
this point we don't know what Supply
there
will be and at what point in our in our
plan period so that's a key reason why
we're not at this point able to
um suggest a target for for the new plan
uh and that's something we're absolutely
going to need to look at in in detail
once that uh that plan is is published
for consultation
but even once you've looked at water
supply
it's important that your plan is a
deliverable plan there's no point in
having a plan with uh with allocations
to meet that need if if they simply no
realistic prospects of them being being
delivered
and we know that they're likely to be
constraints through the
earlier middle part of the plan period
but once the reservoir becomes
operational that will provide
significant quantums of water such that
it's less we're not anticipating at this
stage subject to that testing uh that
it's likely to continue to put a
constraint on the amount of development
but the market itself May provide a
constraint there will be limits to how
much housing the market will deliver
year on year in those last five or six
years of the plan period
so we commissioned some work from our
our Consultants to explore whether they
thought there was a prospect of
delivering those higher needs
um at the moment they're saying it's
just not clear whether that's possible
um
even setting aside the water supply
situation uh
we're likely to need a stepped housing
Target that increases as we go through
the plan period
um firstly once the plan is adopted and
new sites can come forward that's the
first
um
requirement before we can start to
deliver higher levels of growth towards
our Target and then we know that water
supply is likely to also put
um uh stages in in the plan once those
different levels of um the types of
water supply come forward so we expect
there to be a stepped housing trajectory
It also says our study also says that
um uh there there may be a need for
interventions into the market things
like could the councils deliver more
more housing
um can government through any of its
agencies assist with
um helping to provide more housing than
the market might do on on its own so
lots of things for us still to
understand as we start to develop the
draft plan
but what we are asking members to think
about in this in this report
um is the principles that would underpin
the development of the creation of any
development strategy
so the first proposals included
um some guiding principles to steer the
sites included in in that consultation
um and we think that they would provide
a good
a good starting point for considering
any further sites that might be able to
be supported by water and and delivered
in the plan period
and those
principles included things like being
located in areas where it would have the
least climate impact we're active in
public transport is a Natural Choice
where green infrastructure can be
delivered alongside new development and
where job services and Facilities
can be located there to where people
live and that all the necessary
utilities can be provided in a in a
sustainable way and we think those are
still good guiding principles for any
further development
so
what we do know is that with the
reservoir coming on stream towards the
latter part of the plan period there
will will be capacity for some new sites
beyond our first proposals sorry beyond
our current plans including some of the
sites that were identified in our first
proposals
um and we we say we're saying to members
that Northeast Cambridge
um and Cambridge East as the most
sustainable two sites within our uh
within our first proposals within the
area
um can and and should be confirmed as
part of the plan now
um that's partly to enable us to
um move forwards and develop though the
work towards the draft plan policies
but these are sites that also involve
relocation of significant infrastructure
so Northeast Cambridge is dependent on
and predicated on the relocation of the
water treatment works and that's
something Albion water are taking
forward through a development consent
order process
um and Marshall are looking to relocate
the airport to Cranfield and they've
also submitted a planning application so
giving confidence now to uh that these
sites were in the plan
um we we think would help those
infrastructure providers and
landowners to continue to move forward
with their proposals
and Cambridge biomedical campus is a
really important
um uh site for Life Sciences
um nationally and internationally as
well as locally
um and we think it's really important at
this stage to confirm that policies for
the biomedical campus will be included
within within the draft plan
um including so that our ongoing
discussions with them around improving
and creating a master plan to improve
the environment and functioning of that
of that area uh can continuously develop
the draft plan at this stage we're not
in a position to confirm whether a
Greenback release should take place but
we think further work is Justified to
continue to look into that possibility
so to summarize the uh reports and the
recommendations to members are to uh to
note the uh updated need for jobs and
homes and confirm that in principle we
should aim to meet them in full if
possible
uh we're not asking them just to
reiterate to agree a target for the plan
at this stage because we need to do more
work to understand what an appropriate
Target would be
uh but we are asking members to agree uh
the principles for guiding
um any sites beyond our current plans
including the first proposals and any
additional sites and we are asking them
to confirm the three key strategic sites
that I've just mentioned
um and in terms of the process
uh the report was considered and agreed
by Cambridge City council at its
planning transport scrutiny committee
last night and uh it has been considered
by South camps scrutiny and overview
committee uh last week and will be
considered by its cabinet on the 6th of
February
uh and then just then to confirm the uh
the next steps the draft plan that we're
developing to bring back
um an act of consultation later in the
year that will confirm a housing Target
it will have a strategy and the site to
meet
um meet those those needs was meant as
as much of them as is appropriate and
possible to do so we will have full
policies for the sites included in the
development strategy and the plan will
also include policies for all the key
themes that John mentioned at the outset
around climate change biodiversity Etc
and we will very much be out to public
consultation on that draft plan uh to
seek your views at that time
thank you
Thank You Caroline
um I should advise at this point
um we've been joined by an additional
panelist
um Stephen Kelly who is the uh director
of the shared planning service he was
waylaid earlier but he's not able to
join us for a discussion
um we have
and thank you very much for this
received a good number of questions now
through the Q a and if you'd like to
keep posting questions we'll do our best
um to get through as many as possible
but I think we'll we'll start at the top
and try and pass some of these around
the panelists so the first one uh really
focuses on a list of infrastructures to
go can you tell us if they'll be
sufficient
um electricity water gas schools doctors
uh old people's homes
and recreational facilities so perhaps
I'll turn to Stephen for this first one
on how do we plan to make sure there's
enough infrastructure
studies underway a that are exploring
all of those issues including cultural
assets and utilities of course one of
the central threads is understanding uh
through our engagement with those
providers what the housing number is
that everyone needs to plan for or the
population more particularly in terms of
jobs and homes that those providers need
to plan for but if you go online and
look at our the share planning Services
web pages on on local plan you will see
earlier studies that we've published at
earlier phases of this process and some
of the topic papers that hopefully give
you some reassurance that we are
continuing to explore and sense check
both in the context of changing
circumstances be it regulations or
indeed the environmental conditions in
the area
but part of where we will expect to get
to for the next situation of the plan is
a clear understanding further
understanding on some of those all right
I should put my headphones on hopefully
that's better is that better it's better
uh sorry about that
um uh but uh is a clearer position once
we've determined a number uh for that
population change on what the precise
infrastructure requirements may be and
and we will continue to keep that under
review
um having regard to deliverability
challenges uh and the way the supply
changes
thank you and there's significant work
going on isn't there Stephen as well
looking at particularly things like the
infrastructure and electricity grid um
with investment particularly south of
Cambridge as well so
and there's a lot of work going on I
think it's a fair a fair response
um
the next question is uh can we reduce
cars in Cambridgeshire um Caroline would
you like to pick that one up
thank you um
it's a really it's a really interesting
question
um
what we're keen to do through the um
through the local plan is to try and
ensure that we locate development where
where the
that where there is really good options
for people not to have to use their car
on a regular basis
um where there's good public transport
where there's good opportunities for
active transports you know cycling
walking and and so on
in terms of
what the planning system can do to
reduce the number of cars I think in
terms of new development we can we can
limit
um the amount of trips created for new
developments through things called trip
budgets where we can control the amount
of new uh new trips created by
development as for existing car levels
that that's a much wider
um wider issue and a real challenge
um something that for example the beta
Cambridge partnership is very much
looking at through some of its proposals
um including most recently its proposals
for making making connections to improve
bus transport and and through through a
congestion charge so I think there's a a
range of different
um different things that can be done
what we can do as the local planning
Authority is try to
um ensure that we're not
um
exacerbating problems of congestion and
that we're enabling people to move
around sustainably
um
through the way that we plan development
thank you
the next two questions really focus on
the work the councils do in terms of
testing sites which are put to us
so there's a question around Harry we're
receiving additional sites and have we
published information about new sites
put to us into the consultation
and then another question about are we
doing an updated
um housing and economic land
availability assessment so that's the
document title effectively for us
testing uh the proposals that are put to
us
um when we uh did the first proposals we
received uh a lot more sites information
on sites
um suggestions for things that you put
in the plan that was I see our third
call for sites so we did one uh back in
2019 where in fact we would go out and
say uh in the public domain
um have you got sites that we should be
aware of that are available suitable and
so on to consider as we're plan making
it's really important to give that
opportunity
um up front uh to ensure we have the
best information available
um when we prepare the plan
we then carried out effect the another
call for sites through our first
conversation
and then once again at our first
proposals
uh alongside
um the first proposals we'd already
published our review of the
I think it was seven or eight hundred
sites that had been put to us up to that
point
um
but we received uh I think I don't have
to think in front of me I think there's
about 40 brand new sites I had an input
to us previously
and further information or adjustments
to the proposals on about 180 more
slides
now all the sites are put to us are
mapped and available on our local plan
website there's interactive map which
you can zoom around and see the sites
that have been put to us and the
information that's put to us as well
uh we do now need to do an update to our
housing and economic Land Development
assessment because it's a responsibility
through plan making do we consider the
ideas and proposals put to us before we
come up with our plans
so we are actually you know testing the
additional sites put to us reviewing the
new information that we put to us and to
accompany the draft local plan there
will be an updated version of that study
now our Focus has to be at the moment
um the review of that large number of
sites that were put to us through the
first proposals so there aren't further
sites that are being that we're looking
at at the moment we are really focused
on getting through those proposals now
it's not the end of the story um there
will be opportunities again to put uh
proposals to us through that draft plan
consultation and usually through plan
making proposals are put to us and
information put to us right the way
through that consultation process that I
covered at the beginning but our focus
at the moment is really looking at those
proposals that are put to us
um from the first proposals consultation
um the next question is a question about
uh a phrase
um water neutrality
so if drought is a real problem this
region why isn't it a key aspect of our
plan
um that we need to be shaped by natural
England's concept of water neutrality
which is effectively not uh building
more development unless Water Supplies
isn't negative negatively affected now
when we had our scrutiny meeting with
Cambridge yesterday a similar question
was asked and therefore I'm going to
turn to Stephen Kelly who gave a very uh
clear response to that one yesterday
thanks Jonathan and I'll aim to be brief
this is a massive topic and a huge area
of ongoing work for the shared planning
service and the and the councils more
widely
um we will explore the the concept of
water neutrality but it isn't
necessarily A A Panacea because
um it it it requires an ability to be
able to uh in areas where we have un uh
engaged with those councils around water
neutrality
um the implementation of the effective
implementation of a effectively
improving the efficiency of existing
developments in order to be able to
permit further developments uh has some
delivery challenges but just to offer
some reassurance we we're absolutely
live to this issue we are working with
the environment agency and with them
through defra uh on um on the challenges
facing the area in terms of water supply
and with the water industry in terms of
the companies as to what can be what can
be done and and I suspect you'll hear a
lot more about this topic as we progress
through the through the year
thank you
Stephen
uh the next question is about Census
Data can you explain if the recent
census figures for this area came into
the calculation related need otherwise
how to calculate the number of jobs you
expect to come forward between 2020 and
2041 I'm Stuart would you be able to
pick this one up
absolutely thanks Ron so yes we did take
into account the Census Data so far as
it was available noting that lots more
census data is due to come out the key
point I guess was to identify that base
population 2020 is a key finding that
there was more people in Cambridge
particularly than had previously been
estimated and that didn't then inform
the population related sector growth
looking for the future
thank you the next question comes back
to
um the cover sites and the Healer
document so given that significant
increase the increased forecast
for local housing needs and
environmental constraints
that already affects some of the
emerging preferred site options will
there be a further call the site's
exercise to see where other sustainable
development opportunities exist within
the plant area so I'll pick this one up
because this related to that previous
question
um we really need to focus on that large
number of sites they've been put to us
through the exercises at the moment but
there will be opportunities to make
comments on the draft plan including
about site if you look at the the amount
of data we've received on sites and the
sheer number we've looked at and the
area of coverage actually we have got a
pretty comprehensive assessment of site
opportunities across the area it doesn't
mean there won't be further process of
the process
but our evidence based on this issue uh
is comprehensive and we necessarily need
to focus on the information at the
moment we've received those three
significant call for science exercises
uh
next question is about Road capacity uh
do we have the road capacity the number
of bus drivers to cope with the number
of jobs
and I'll turn to Caroline on that one
first please
uh thank you and I think I've covered
that in part in my last comment around
um we're really looking through the
transport modeling that will support the
local plan to make sure that there is
appropriate capacity
um for trips that will be made by
whatever mode of of transport and we can
through a trip budget limit the amount
of trips by
um by private car
um I think the question around bus
drivers is is well made we know you know
that's an ongoing Challenge and
something that I think
um again greater Cambridge partnership
we're looking at very much through
um through the work they are doing as is
the combined Authority who is Consulting
on a bus strategy right now so I think
it's a very live issue
and there was a follow-up point in that
question about
um the carbon impact of development so
to accompany the first proposals
um we commissioned a significant study
into
um the climate change impacts our plan
and how we could develop policies
which would address
mitigation and adaptation to climate
change and that study very much
influenced the policies we proposed
in that consultation
um it really showed in that study
um there was a lot the councils could be
doing in terms of uh building standards
for example to make sure the carbon
impact of the energy we use uh was
addressed by making sure our buildings
are really high quality
but it also really showed that uh most
of the carbon impacts were about
transport and travel
uh hence why we focused so strongly on
those issues about the done strategy
which Caroline mentioned in response to
the the question earlier
um the next question is why are we
building on flood areas so perhaps Nancy
would you be able to mention the work we
do um to look at the sequential test and
working with our stakeholders and so on
to explore flood risk
yeah thank you John and so as part of
our evidence base we had Consultants
develop a strategic flood risk
assessment a level one study and as part
of the identification of sites within
the housing and economic land
availability assessment we had a sort of
sequential approach avoiding sites that
have got fluvial flood risk and surface
water flood risk as well so the sites
that we identified in the first
proposals are ones that have the least
kind of sequentially likelihood of
flooding and obviously as we move
forward with the strategy and look
further at the sites we'll continue with
that process and if any of the sites
have any sort of risk we might look
further into a more detailed sort of
level two strategic side risk assessment
and we're also working closely with the
environment agency on this as well
thank you
the next question is about relocation of
the Cambridge wastewater treatment works
um given the time it's taken to achieve
and the rate of inflation how will any
shortfall in available funding be met
and will this have impact on the
relocation um that's a tricky one I'm
going to turn to Stephen Kelly for this
one
thank you uh John the answer really at
the moment is we're not being advised
that there is there is inevitably cost
inflation in the in in that project uh
it's not we haven't yet been advised
that the project is unviable or
undeliverable as a consequence and it
will be for the promoters of the scheme
anglian water to
um justify and explain to an inspector
how the funding in place for the project
is sufficient to deliver the outcomes
that they're they're seeking but um we
haven't been advised that it's not yet a
viable project or account of these
inflationary pressures
thank you
um I'm going to turn back to Caroline
for this one because it was covered to
an extent in the presentation so water
transfer does that mean a new pipe and
from where Caroline
uh yes we understand that is uh that it
would be a new pipe uh coming from and
in Walters area we think from Grafton
water
um uh as as part of improving yes that
that that's intimate intermediate um
provision of water supply
thank you I'm going to turn back to you
for this one Caroline
um the plan period currently is to 2041.
but do we need to reconsider that as the
minimum plan period required by the
government's planning guidance is 15
years
it's 15 years on adoption so yes that is
something we keep under review as we
prepare on uh as we prepare the plan and
any updates we may need to make to our
local development scheme which is the
timetable for preparing the plan uh the
report to members does uh highlight that
we know we will need to update that that
scheme timetable
um because the wastewater treatment was
developmental consent order was it
anticipated when we wrote that in summer
last year to be submitted in the Autumn
and it hasn't yet been submitted so we
uh we know we will need to review that
once the dco is is submitted but we will
also need to keep the plan under under
review I think it's close at the moment
as to whether there'd be 15 years at the
end and on adoption but yes that's
absolutely something we keep under
review
thank you
the next question is about housing
affordability and and our affordable
housing houses affordable
so Cambridge house prices are staying
High
um
those at Marley those those at NEC will
not be as affordable to key workers such
as cleaners refuse collectors teachers
and so on
um we're not building enough houses
enough to affect the uh market price
even of rented accommodation
um Stephen if you've got a comment on
this one
I think so um I I think we're realistic
in in this space in that
um uh the ability to uh and I think the
the the the
narratives suggesting that building more
houses will reduce the price of housing
um are uh probably not uh entirely borne
out by facts and circumstances in areas
where that happens I think the
counterfactual though is that we know
that if we if we um maintain a
significant imbalance between supply and
demand recognizing uh the range of
affordable housing products that that
are coming forward and in fact
Caroline's comments earlier on about
deliverability and looking at uh not
just Market housing for sale as the
driver of of of the homes that we need
for precisely the points that you
highlight we know that if we do not um
attempt to try and address some of those
issues that Supply demand imbalance is
going to accelerate and continue to
accelerate
um house price
um uh inflation whether that's rental
values and competition as competition
inevitably drives that up and one of the
consequences for that will be as you
highlight teachers care assistance even
scientists and so on will end up being
priced out of Greater Cambridge and
we'll have to commute in from elsewhere
which has consequent impacts not only on
their well-being but also on the carbon
footprint of the growth that takes place
and that's not something members want to
support so with realists but I think we
have to ask a question about if we don't
um if we don't meet that need
um the very clear economic model is that
is that prices will continue to be
inflated above the national average and
and that's undesirable for for a number
of those reasons thank you
thank you Stephen
um we're getting a lot of questions in
we'll do our best to pick up some of
those in the fact that we don't get
through today on the website but we'll
probably go slightly quicker
um if the chalk streams are drying up
it's a clear sign of development needs
to be paused
um can we
stop development when our natural world
is telling us to stop well I'll pick
this one up very briefly I think the
whole purpose of us being cautious
around the availability of water and
seeking to understand and the issues
arising from the water plants really
shows that we do take the issue very
seriously there are significant steps
being taken to uh explore and address
the water issues including to reduce the
abstraction coming out of our chalk
crack versus the Vita chalk stream so
agree it's very important and we need to
carefully understand it but also we do
have responsibility to plan to meet
social economic and other needs as well
it's a real difficult balance but I'd
like to reassure we do take the water
issue extremely seriously
um
then there's a question I think looking
at Market absorption so one of the
issues picked up in the presentation was
about
um if can we deliver them of homes and
the question really is about should we
be modifying our spatial strategy
um for a greater distribution in order
to help deliver homes Caroline if you
want to pick that one up
Caroline's dropped off the call
Stephen
yes should I just cover this um yeah I
mean we have we have received this in
representations from um a number of site
promoters effectively saying
um that the way to increase housing
delivery would be to increase the
dispersal dispersal of homes Across The
Villages and
um into those areas where we're not
currently focusing the spatial strategy
on future growth the consequences for
that however is that although you
achieve increased deliverability We
Believe marginal increases in uh
delivery of of additional housing
um you exacerbate the climate challenges
that the the plan or strategy for growth
faces and you reduce the opportunity to
integrate and create new
communities with critical mass to
deliver the right infrastructure whether
it's health care or or education
infrastructure in in in accessible
walkable locations as well as the
opportunity to efficiently connect those
new places for growth such as our major
strategy teaching sites
to to places like the city with public
transport or sustainable public
transport options and that I'm by that I
mean financially sustainable as well as
environmentally
um efficient and and transformational so
um it is a it is a spatial option it's
it's fair to say it is a special option
we're highlighting in the principles
that the Committees have so far
considered in the last few days and
um endorsed uh that our principles are
focusing based upon the feedback we've
had through the local plan consultations
to date around concerns about place that
people have highlighted in terms of the
character of areas changing through such
incremental change
but also those environmental and
infrastructure and place credentials uh
that that point towards
the new settlements and the kind of more
concentrated growth strategy that we
that we have but it's an it's an option
that will no doubt be debated uh as part
of one of the spatial options as we
continue through this Journey thank you
I'm going to look for questions we
haven't really covered yet so one of the
questions is about are we going to be
working with neighboring authorities
about meeting needs so Caroline I know
you're back are you able to pick that
one up
uh yes I'll do my best I can't actually
read any of the questions but that was
short and straightforward so uh yes we
through the duty to cooperate uh have to
um have an obligation to engage with
with our neighbors and with key
stakeholders absolutely something we do
as a part of good plan making anyway so
um at each stage of plan making and in
and and regularly in between we are
engaging with with our neighbors uh to
explore issues of
um shed shed cross-boundary interest
both as we prepare our plan and indeed
as they prepare theirs so it's an
ongoing issue the report does say that
we will want to need to engage with our
neighbors if uh if our work shows that
we're not able to meet our need in full
that's a step we're required to go
through
um through National policy so it's a
very much an ongoing normal part of plan
making
thank you um there's a question that
asks about
um effectively are we planning for to
meet the needs of gypsum Travelers and
whilst it's not a part of this report uh
when we plan for housing we need to
address the needs across the board
really of all
um types and tenures of homes that are
needed and that does include planning
for Gypsies and travelers uh we are
still seeking to update our evidence of
that and we'll be seeking to explore in
the plan how those needs should be met
so whilst it's not a key part of the
current documents in front of us it
Still Remains an important issue that
will be addressed by the plan
um
East-West rail what are we doing about
that how's that affecting our plan
Stephen
we in the first proposals we identified
further growth at Camborne in the
context of
um uh the potential for a new station
there uh the East West rail company uh
have um after the governance
announcement in the Autumn about
continued commitment to that project are
in the process of I think reviewing
their position but have contacted the
councils to
indicate that they want to re-engage
around the East West rail proposals in
the in 2023
we will obviously do so but at this
stage in time thinking around the new uh
timetable which is which is in many
respects out of date from the
unachievable in terms of their published
solution we'll need to understand how
East-West rail if it is a continuing
piece of infrastructure interacts in
during the current plan period
so it's a conversation that we expect to
harden up in terms of in time for
further conversations in all the further
published plan in the
um summer next this year
thank you so we're due to finish in one
minute and it's fair to say we've got
more issues come in that we can answer
including a number of comments about
water so we will try and have a look at
those I hope you answered most of your
points on that for well try and address
any other issues through the fact I
guess one more question was related to
how we progressing work on Green Space
so green space and biodiversity
significant part of our consultation
Stuart can you pick this one up briefly
absolutely thanks John so we identified
um 14 strategic green infrastructure
initiatives as we called them for space
for people and wildlife in the first
proposals We are continuing to develop
that work so we've commissioned some
extra evidence from Consultants to
identify uh standards and specific
projects that we can put in the plan and
identify particular things and also
engaging with the relevant Partners to
make sure that projects coming forward
could be deliverable
thank you stupid I'm going to draw the
webinar to a close so we will endeavor
to uh look at our FAQs on our website
and add ad points uh by reviewing the
questions we've received and having me
able to answer if you have got any
questions on our website you'll find our
contact details including our our
contact email address I've said this is
very much not the end of the story for
the local plan we look forward to doing
a full public consultation uh later in
the year we'll be the chance to raise
issues and provide comments on all the
issues we raise and
um continue to engage and we'll have
future webinars as well but I'd like to
thank all the panelists that have been
answering your questions today most of
all thank you for the real a wide range
of really good questions that you've put
to us it's really good to see such
engagement from a whole raft of people
as we take the plan forward really
grateful so thanks very much for joining
um see you next time