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Greater Cambridge Local Plan Development Strategy Update January 2023 Webinar

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

exacerbating problems of congestion and

that we're enabling people to move

around sustainably

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Greater Cambridge Local Plan Development Strategy Update January 2023 Webinar