Agenda item

To answer any questions asked by the public.

The deadline for receipt of public questions is midnight on Friday 18 November 2022.

The Council’s scheme for public speaking at remote meetings may be inspected here:

Public Speaking Scheme

The Chair announced that as a public question had been received from Gamlingay Parish Council, agenda item 11, Making of Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan, would be discussed after this agenda item.

Councillor David Jones from Cambourne Town Council expressed disappointment in a recent presentation by the South Cambridgeshire Investment Partnership (SCIP) on the proposed development of 260 homes on land at Cambourne Business Park where it had been made clear that SCIP were not proposing to provide a road connection between the Business Park and West Cambourne as part of their development. Councillor Jones asserted that road access was critical to integrate West Cambourne with the wider town and this had been understood when the District Council determined MCA’s outline planning application for West Cambourne, as the planning permission and subsequently approved Design Code secured the delivery of a spine road up to the boundary of the Business Park. The development of West Cambourne was only found to be acceptable on the basis that the opportunity would exist to secure an access with any future application for the land at the Business Park. The provision of this link road was also critical to provide safe access for around 2,000 children attending Cambourne Village College and Hardwick and Cambourne Primary Schools. The land required to deliver the link road was wholly within the control of the District Council but there was a cost attached to the works. Councillor Jones then asked the following question:

“Can Councillor Smith therefore please explain to the people of Cambourne why the integration of their town and the safety of around 2,000 of their children is now considered secondary to the wish of the Council to profit from its chosen role as a developer of 260 additional houses on a green space in the centre of our town?“

The Leader stated that the current proposals by SCIP sought to deliver cycle, pedestrian and bus access between the Business Park and Cambourne West. She explained that Policy SS/8 identified the need to address a number of access issues. This included “…vehicular access between the Business Park and Cambourne West” (Paragraph 12 (g)) and “bus prioritisation measures…including a bus link … linking through to Great Cambourne by the Cambourne Business Park” (Paragraph 12 (h)).  

The Leader explained that according to the current evidence, the traffic impact generated by the development of the SCIP did not require access for private vehicles to be available from Cambourne West. It was important to note that the Business Park site access road had not been adopted and opening up this link so that it formed one of three primary access points into Cambourne West would require physical works to rebuild and upgrade parts of the road. The transport effects of the development proposed by the SCIP does not require such an upgrade. The current proposals would enable the realisation of bus prioritisation measures listed in SS/8 without the need to upgrade the existing road. The cost of improving the road through the SCIP proposals would therefore need to be considered against the consequences for other infrastructure requirements set out for development of this type, such as the provision of high quality greenspaces, buildings with appropriate environmental performance and the need for infrastructure contributions towards education, community and health infrastructure. The Council’s local plan policy also required the development to deliver affordable housing at levels up to 40%. The Council was committed to shifting away from private car use to more sustainable forms of transport and whilst it will be a matter for the SCIP whether they wish to argue for delivery of such a link to be prioritised over other infrastructure contributions, given that the development was unlikely to be able to fund all the policy objectives of the plan, the prioritisation of the respective policy objectives identified in the question and those other policy objectives across the Local Plan, will ultimately be a matter for the Planning Committee to balance in due course. 

As a supplementary question, Councillor David Jones asked the Leader to confirm if the discount in the cost of the site allowed the link road to West Cambourne will SCIP show the level of profit from the site? The Leader explained that a written answer would be provided to this question and it would be included in the minutes.

Councillor Sam Martin, Chair of Gamlingay Parish Council, explained that the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan was the culmination of seven years’ work and involved various the engagement of various stakeholders. Councillor Martin thanked Councillor officers and councillors for their support and asked whether Gamlingay Parish Council could offer some training to the area planning officers and councillors on the main characteristics and aspects of the plan.

Councillor Brian Milnes congratulated Gamlingay Parish Council on their Neighbourhood Plan and stated that the Council would welcome an opportunity for the Parish Council to provide a briefing on the ambitions of the Plan to local Members and the officers of the West Area planning team.