Decision details

This decision relates to specific delegations to the Cabinet Member for Planning agreed by Cabinet at its meeting held on 29^th June 2020.

The draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan (the “AAP”) was reported to South Cambridgeshire District Council Cabinet on 29th June 2020 and to Cambridge City Council Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee on 30th June 2020. Both decision making bodies agreed the draft AAP and supporting documentation for a ten-week period of public consultation under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

Both decisions included the recommendation that five further Topic Papers are delegated to the Cambridge Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces (in consultation with the Chair and Spokes for the Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee) and the Deputy Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council to agree ahead of public consultation.

This recommendation was required because the Topic Papers were still being finalised and the Lead Planning Members are asked to agree them under an out of meeting decision ahead of the public consultation. The issues addressed in these topic papers have nevertheless been considered in drafting the AAP.

The purpose of this decision is to approve the five Topic Papers which are:

·         Transport Topic Paper - Further transport work including to consider traffic movements on King's Hedges Road and complementary measures to support the application of a Trip Budget, including reductions in car parking within the AAP area and the management of any potential implications of this on surrounding communities, including consideration of any future requirement for controlled parking zones and parking enforcement.

·         Internalisation Topic Paper - Considers how to maximise internal trips within NEC through sustainable modes to reduce the need to travel by private motor vehicle.

·         Health Facilities and Wellbeing Topic Paper - Considers how health facilities and wellbeing can be improved through well designed places and how policies within the AAP can maximise health and wellbeing benefits for future residents and existing residents in the surrounding area. The preparation of this paper has been impacted by health specialists focus on the Covid-19 crisis.

·         Environmental Health Topic Paper - Identifies the existing environmental health constraints of the area including air quality, noise, odour, land contamination, ground conditions and light pollution.

·         Community Safety Topic Paper - Explores the issues of community safety in North East Cambridge and how development should be socially inclusive and safe.

Note: To ensure an aligned agreement on these documents between Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, the Cambridge City Council Executive Councillor for Planning Policy & Open Spaces is also taking an out of cycle decision on them at the same time.

To agree the five Topic Papers appended to this decision in support of the draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan.

The documents are important considerations that have informed the preparation of the draft NEC AAP and be scrutinised by Executive Members from both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council.

Option 1: To proceed with draft NEC AAP summer consultation without the five remaining Topic Papers.

Reason for rejection: the documents have been prepared in consultation with a wide range of officers and external consultees, informed the preparation of the draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan, and have been subjected to scrutiny by Executive Members. The omission of these documents would mean that a number of important policy and corporate considerations would not be properly covered in the summer consultation.