Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors JD Batchelor, D Bird, BR Burling, TD Bygott, JP Chatfield, Mrs PS Corney, NS Davies, Ms JA Dipple, Mrs SJO Doggett, Mrs VG Ford, Dr SA Harangozo, Mrs CA Hunt, PT Johnson, SGM Kindersley, Mrs JE Lockwood, RM Matthews, DC McCraith, DH Morgan, Mrs LA Morgan, AG Orgee, JA Quinlan, NJ Scarr, Mrs DSK Spink MBE, RJ Turner and TJ Wotherspoon.

The following Members declared interests in Agenda Item 3:

Councillor Mrs SA Hatton declared a personal non-prejudicial interest on the basis that her son worked on the West Cambridge site. Notwithstanding this interest she remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillors Dr DR Bard, EW Bullman, Mrs CAED Murfitt and A Riley declared personal non-prejudicial interests as members of the university superannuation scheme. Notwithstanding these interests they remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillor Dr SEK van de Ven declared a personal non-prejudicial interest on the grounds that her husband was an employee of Cambridge University. Notwithstanding this interest she remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillor MJ Mason advised that he had considered the matter as a member of Histon Parish Council; however, he intended to consider the matter afresh as a District Councillor.

Report and appendices attached.

Council considered a report setting out the results of the public participation on the Issues and Options for the Area Action Plan (AAP) for North-West Cambridge, which was being prepared jointly by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. The report recommended a preferred approach to the development of the AAP, and that Council approve responses to representations on the Issues and Options.

The Chairman of Council welcomed representatives of Cambridge University and Girton Parish Council to the meeting and outlined the procedure that Council would follow.

Mrs Caroline Hunt, Principal Planning Policy Officer, drew the meeting’s attention to the following additional material circulated beforehand:

(1)   A detailed site assessment of Option E.

(2)   An index to the report and appendices.

(3)   The script of representations made by Cambridge University to the North West Fringe Member Reference Group on 29 June 2007.

Council considered a preferred Site Footprint for the AAP, the options for which were set out in Paper 1 to the report. Mrs Hunt explained the background to the report and outlined the stage which the plan-making process had reached. The options which had been subject to consultation accorded with the provisions of the Cambridge and Peterborough Structure Plan 2003 and were intended to meet the development needs of Cambridge University whilst maintaining and enhancing the setting of Cambridge. The AAP which would eventually follow this consultation required a clear and defensible evidence base for the preferred options chosen. Following extensive public consultation between September-November 2006, 4 revised options had been put forward to the North West Joint Member Reference Group on 29 June 2007, as follows:

·                      Option A: Development along the Girton Ridge generally not extending below the 20m contour, the green belt between Girton and Cambridge narrows to 100m south of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) towards Madingley Road where it is not visible from Huntingdon Road.

·                      Option B: Development along the Girton Ridge generally not extending below the 20m contour, the green belt between Girton and Cambridge narrows to 200m south of the SSSI towards Madingley Road where it is not visible from Huntingdon Road.

·                      Option C: Based on option 10.1, development is drawn slightly further up the slope, the strategic gap widens out into a large circular open space in the vicinity of the SSSI.

·                      Option D: Based on option C, with additional green indentations into the outer edge of the development, the 200m strategic gap runs south towards Madingley Road.

At the meeting, a refinement to Option A was put forward, Option E, which generally maintained development above the 20 metre contour line in South Cambridgeshire in order to respect the Green Belt setting whilst providing a large, high amenity value central green space as part of the north-south strategic gap, primarily within Cambridge city. The width of the strategic gap narrowed to 100 metres under this option, south of the central green space, running towards Madingley Road.

Mrs Hunt referred Council to plans within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.