Agenda and minutes

Councillors Dr DR Bard and Mrs CAED Murfitt declared personal, non-prejudicial interests in Agenda item 3 as members of the university superannuation scheme. They remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillors TD Bygott, Mrs HM Smith and JF Williams declared personal, non-prejudicial interests in Agenda item 3 as alumni of the Cambridge University. They remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillor Mrs SA Hatton declared a personal non-prejudicial interest on the grounds that her son worked as a researcher at the Cambridge University. She remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

Councillor SGM Kindersley declared a personal non-prejudicial interest as the elected Cambridgeshire County Councillor for the Wimpole, Eversden and Kingston district wards. He remained in the meeting and took part in the discussions and voting.

 Report attached (Appendices - see contents schedule below).

RECOMMENDATIONS (from paragraph 25 of the report)

Council is recommended to agree:

(1)   The responses to representations received on the Preferred Options Report (attached as appendix 1).

(2)   The Submission Draft Area Action Plan (attached as appendix 4).

(3)   The supporting documentation for the Submission Draft Area Action Plan (listed at paragraph 5.2).

(4)   That the Growth and Sustainable Communities Portfolio Holder be authorised to agree minor editing changes, in consultation with Cambridge City Council’s Executive Member.  

(5)   That any material changes to the plan arising from Cambridge City Council’s consideration of the plan at its Environment Scrutiny Committee on 8 April 2008 be referred to the Council meeting on 24 April 2008 for further consideration.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Representations & Responses to the Preferred Options Report. Attached page 9

Appendix 2: Representations & Responses to the Sustainability Appraisal. Attached page 137

Appendix 3: Schedule of Proposed Changes to the North West Cambridge

Area Action Plan. Attached page 149

Appendix 4: Track Changes Version of the Submission Draft Area Action Plan. Attached 207

Appendix 5: North West Cambridge Site Footprint Assessment – Supplementary Paper. Attached page 305

Appendix 6: North West Cambridge Area Action Plan – Land Budget Paper. Attached page 313

Appendix 7: Climate Change & Sustainable Design & Construction Paper To follow

Appendix 8: Non-Technical Summary of the North West Cambridge Area Action Plan Sustainability Appraisal – Full copy provided on website.

Available electronically only, using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk)

Appendix 9: Habitats Regulation Assessment (Screening Assessment). Attached page 325

Appendix 10: Statement of Consultation and Self Assessment of Soundness. Available electronically only, using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk)

Council considered responses to representations received to the North West Cambridge Area Action Plan Preferred Options consultation and the draft Area Action Plan (AAP) and supporting documentation for submission to the Secretary of State.

In introducing the reports and recommendations, the Planning Policy Manager reminded Members that the AAP was a joint plan with the Cambridge City Council, therefore both Councils would be required to pass identical Resolutions in order to adopt it. The City Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee was due to consider the documents on 8 April 2008 and its Council on 24 April. The intended date for submission to the Secretary of State was 19 May 2008.

Members were advised that the AAP provided for between 700-800 houses; this constituted around half of the housing shortfall previously identified by the Inspector.

Following the Planning Policy Manager’s introduction, Council considered the Representations and Responses to the Preferred Options Report, set out at Appendix 1 to the report. During the discussion that followed, comments were made in respect of the following matters:

·      Transport: Specific routes and accesses would be a matter to be considered at detailed design stages, however it could be stated that the access route across the site would be low speed and designed to encourage sustainable methods of travel.

·      Site footprint and impact on the Green Belt: The site footprint was proposed to maximise development whilst minimising the impact on the Green Belt, including restricting development beyond the 20-metre contour to protect views of the slope looking towards Cambridge.

·      Design and density: Concerns were expressed that higher housing densities would be detrimental to the amenity of occupiers. Members were advised that matters of detail would be considered at the master planning stage; the action plan would merely stress that resulting housing forms, including garden size and length, should be ‘appropriate’.

·      Sustainability: It was agreed that paragraph 9.10 of the draft AAP should be amended to refer specifically to water ‘use’ reduction, and that paragraph 9.2 reworded to state that new development would need to be adaptable for unavoidable changes in climate.  The Chairman of the Climate Change Working Group requested that city and district council officers issue joint publicity stressing that the sustainability measures proposed within the draft AAP put the councils at the forefront of sustainability planning nationally, a position which had been achieved through close co-operation and effective partnership working.

·      Drainage: Concern was expressed regarding the 350m culvert in terms of the flood risk and structural soundness identified by the Histon and Impington Parish Councils in their objection. Members were advised that a catchment-wide study would be required of the developers in order to review all potential effects of the development.

Council RESOLVED that:

1)      The responses to representations received on the Preferred Options Report be agreed (attached as appendix 1 to the report), subject to the amendments to representation responses 3510 and 3511 set out in the Addendum circulated prior to the meeting (available to viewwith the Agenda papers on the Council’s website).

2)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.