Agenda item - South Cambs Local Plan: Agreeing the Draft for Consultation

Appendices A and B to the report are bound together in a separate document

Appendices D and F can be viewed on the following link:

http://www.scambs.gov.uk/content/cabinet-meeting-27-june-2013

Appendix C was originally accessed via link to the website. The files were added to this page after the meeting.

Appendix E is attached to the report in the agenda pack

Cabinet

AGREED

A) The Proposed Submission South Cambridgeshire Local Plan for consultation, including the evidence base listed in the plan (Appendix A);

B) The Proposed Submission Policies Map (Appendix B);

C) To note the Draft Final Sustainability Report (Appendix C);

D) To note the Duty to Cooperate Statement (Appendix D);

E) To agree the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Memorandum of Cooperation (Appendix E)

F) To note the Statement of Consultation (Appendix F);

G) To agree the consultation arrangements set out in paragraph 13;

H) To agree that the Proposed Submission Local Plan housing target and plan period be used to calculate 5-year housing land supply pending adoption of the plan;

I) To agree that any subsequent minor amendments and editing changes be made in consultation with the Planning Policy and Localism Portfolio Holder.

J) To agree the responses to issues raised in representations received to the consultations on Issues and Options from summer 2012 and winter 2013, and the spring 2013 single issue consultation on a proposed Sawston Football Stadium which can be found in Appendix C: The Draft Final Sustainability Appraisal (Annex 1).

Councillor Pippa Corney, Planning Policy and Localism Portfolio Holder, invited Cabinet to agree the Proposed Submission South Cambridgeshire Local Plan covering the period to 2031 for public consultation. The Plan had been discussed at the Planning Policy and Localism Portfolio Holder meetings on 21 March, 11 April and 11 June. It was noted that an additional recommendation (j) had been added following the publication of the agenda.

In response to questioning, Councillor Corney expressed confidence in the planning procedures to prevent developers from circumnavigating the correct process.

Waterbeach

Concern was expressed that delay in building homes on the site of the barracks would not sustain the village community and the viability of building a new town, especially in terms of improving the infrastructure, was questioned. Councillor James Hockney, local member for Waterbeach, confirmed that the community wanted to see the old barracks site developed and was pleased to report that the first residents were expected to move in during August. He stated that the community felt that they had been listened to and that through lobbying the proposed size of the planned new town had reduced from over 10,000 houses to 8-9,000, with a separate village identity and green separation agreed for the Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey, but this would only mitigate the impact and the village will still oppose the new town. Councillor Peter Johnson, local member for Waterbeach, was concerned about the ability of the town to provide suitable improvements in infrastructure and without this the proposed new town could not be built. It was understood that the earliest development of a new town at Waterbeach could commence was over ten years away.

Bourn airfield

In response to concerns that the process was not member-led, Councillor Corney stated that the proposed development of Bourn airfield had been recommended by councillors and had been supported by some members at the recent workshops. The Local Development Framework Team Leader explained that any environmental impact assessment would have to be carried out as part of the planning application process. Stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, had been consulted with regard to this proposed development.

Councillor Tumi Hawkins expressed her opposition to the development along the A428 and stated that the proposals would mean residential housing from the Caxton Gibbet round-a-bout to Caldecote.

Sawston and Babraham

It was noted that site H/1:b land north of Babraham Road was actually in the parish of Babraham and not Sawston as stated and part of the site H/a:c land south of Babaraham Road was in Babraham and was not exclusively in Sawston as stated. It was agreed that this would be made clear in the Plan.

Councillor Tony Orgee stated that as the proposed football stadium had been rejected on the grounds of increased traffic it made sense that the proposed 540 dwellings in Sawston and Babraham be rejected on the same grounds.

Agreeing the Plan

The Local Development Framework Team Leader explained that the Council had some flexibility with regard to the way the recommendations of the Planning Inspectors were implemented, but advised that the Council cannot adopt a plan that is not “sound”.

In response to questioning Councillor Corney explained that the Plan would carry forward “village frameworks” largely unchanged, following views made during the consultation. However, exception sites that delivered more affordable homes could come forward, outside frameworks.

Councillor Simon Edwards, Deputy Leader of the Council, assured councillors that their views and those of residents would be listened to, but not necessarily agreed with. The Leader permitted a resident, Mr Shane Lawrence, to speak. In response Councillor Corney explained that Cabinet were deciding whether to go out to public consultation on the Local Plan. A meeting of Full Council would be invited to approve the Plan for submission next year. It was noted that the minutes of the portfolio holder meetings which discussed the plan were or would be available on the Council’s website, as were the appendices to the reports. The Council had to agree a Plan that provided a rolling 5 year supply of houses.