North Cambourne

• INTRODUCTION
• PLANNING
• ENVIRONMENT
  • TRANSPORT & ACCESS
  • RENEWABLE ENERGY
  • DRAINAGE & INFRASTRUCTURE
• COMMUNITY

Planning Background

 

The need to consider further expansion of Cambourne arises on account of the need for South Cambridgeshire District Council to meet its Strategic Housing requirements. These originate from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan 2003 and are largely replicated in the East of England regional Spatial Strategy approved in early 2008.

 

Housing and other policy at the local level is planned hrough the Local Development Framework (LDF) which is currently being prepared by the Council. A core Strategy was adopted by the Council in early 2007 and suggests that nearly all housing required in the District to 2016 to meet its Strategic Housing needs should be located either around Cambridge, including on sites in the Green Belt and also within the proposed new settlement at Northstowe to the north west of Cambridge.

 

Work on the other parts of the LDF has been continuing including preparation of the Sites Specific Policies DPD. It has become apparent over the last 2 years that progress in relation to development of land around Cambridge and at Northstowe has not been achieved at anything like the rate anticipated by the Council in the Core Strategy. The present shortfall is estimated by the Council at round 2,500 dwellings and is increasing.

 

Housing must be found elsewhere in the District which can be delivered as soon as possible. Cambourne provides an obvious opportunity on account of its location beyond the Green Belt and also in being a settlement where there is a recent and current proven track record of delivering of housing.

 

There are broadly three competing schemes for major development around Cambourne as illustrated on the plan below, with North Cambourne providing one such opportunity.

 

All three sites are under consideration by the Council and are due to be considered by the LDF Inspectors early in 2009 including the competing merits and drawbacks of each proposal.

 

 

Master Plan

 

 

The scheme provides for: