On 26 November 2021 the Grants Advisory Committee reviewed all Community Chest applications received between 16 September 2021 and 15 November 2021, to the Community Chest funding scheme during 2021/22. 

3 applications were brought forward in ‘Appendix A’ of the meeting’s reports pack: Grants Advisory Committee Meeting Reports and Papers

After consideration of these applications, the Committee recommended to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance that:

1.    Cottenham Colts FC (PPTKLFFZ), to be approved and funded at the full amount requested of £1,000

2.    Great Chishill Bell Ringers (RSDLGBJF), to be approved and funded at the full amount requested of £1,000

3.    Orwell Carpet Bowls Club (NFTMRGQJ)to be approved and funded at the full amount requested of £152.95 (please see further information section below)

To accept the recommendations of the Grants Advisory Committee (see above).

On 26 November 2021 Grants Advisory Committee met to consider making several amendments to the Community Chest Grant (CCG) Criteria, proposed as follows:

1.    To include biodiversity grants (formerly Wildlife Enhancement grants) as a £10,000 ringfenced fund within the CCG grants criteria.  Bringing this fund in line with the CCG provides a transparent application process and could result in more than the original £10,000 being allocated towards biodiversity. Parish Councils would be eligible to apply for this funding as they are for the Council’s Zero Carbon Communities (ZCC) funding if they are not already in receipt of a grant from the Council’s ZCC fund for the same financial year. 

2.    To include a one-off allocation of £50,000 from existing and available Council post-Covid funding into the CCG for Community Led Plans work and distribute in accordance with the CCG criteria. This sum would be allocated from adoption of the changes until the end of the current Community-Led Plan project (October 2023, in line with officer resources).This money will not fund projects that result from creation of a Community-Led Plan and is only for the creation of the Community-Led Plan itself.

3.    To increase the upper CCG grant limit of £1,000 to £2,000 this will allow community groups and, where appropriate, parish councils to request a larger contribution to their projects. The cost of materials and equipment is increasing across the board and since most CCG applications are for the maximum award of £1,000 towards a greater project cost.  CCG funding is historically this fund is underspent. By increasing the maximum award to £2,000 it is more likely that remaining funds will be spent by the year end and a full allocation can be made in future years.

4.    To amend CCG criteria to include Community Interest Companies are eligible for CCG funding as this is not stated explicitly in the criteria and, this should be mentioned for the sake of clarity.

To accept the recommendation (Option 1) of the Grants Advisory Committee.

Purpose

To agree the Council’s joint response with Cambridge City Council to Network Rail’s Ely Area Capacity Enhancements 2 consultation.

Background

The Ely area capacity enhancement (EACE) programme proposes to upgrade the railway to allow more trains to run through Ely.

The railway through Ely is operating at full capacity. This means that Network Rail cannot increase the number of services through Ely because the existing layout of the tracks, junctions, signals and existing speed restrictions across key bridges in the Ely area acts as a bottleneck on the network.

The aim of the EACE programme is to improve connectivity for passengers by providing an uplift in services to key destinations. Demand for rail freight is also growing and increasing capacity through Ely will support a shift from road to rail thereby providing a faster, greener, safer and more efficient way of transporting goods across the country; helping to remove lorries from roads and reduce congestion.

Earlier in 2021, Network Rail consulted on the options for upgrading the railway in the Ely South area, the results of which will be presented in 2022. This round of public consultation includes the options for remodelling the track at Ely North junction, Queen Adelaide level crossings options; and options for upgrading or closing other level crossings across the wider Ely area.

Details of the consultation are available at Network Rail’s Ely Area Consultation webpage: https://phase2b.elyareacapacity.com/

Features of the consultation relevant to Greater Cambridge

Features of the consultation relevant to Greater Cambridge comprise:

• Overall approach – enhancements at Ely North junction supporting growth in wider area
• No proposed interventions at Chesterton Level Crossing (Fen Road)
• Changes proposed to two level crossings in Waterbeach including Bottisham Road/Bannold Road but more materially Burgess Drove, where there are two options consulted on: 1 – Remove vehicle crossing rights but retain access for pedestrians and cyclists; 2 - Close Burgess Drove Level crossing

Proposed response points

The proposed key response points and reasons supporting these are as follows. The proposed full response is provided at Appendix A.

·         The need for capacity enhancements at Ely North junction to be sufficient to cater for all planned growth, noting national and local priorities to support more sustainable travel

·         Request to reconsider the consultation’s proposal not to make any further intervention planned at Chesterton Level Crossing, given the significant current impact of downtime there and potential for further downtime with the additional planned growth in services.

·         Burgess Drove Level Crossing: Of the two options proposed, support option 1 - Remove vehicle crossing rights but retain access for pedestrians and cyclists, to support the Councils’ access to food growing and access to nature priorities, noting that the level crossing provides access for village residents to allotments and the River Cam. In addition, note Burgess Drove residents’ views that upgrading the crossing would be preferable and likely less costly than upgrading and maintaining Burgess Drove surface (the proposed mitigation for closing the crossing to vehicles).

For the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development and Lead Cabinet member for Planning Policy and Delivery agree the response to Network Rail’sEly Area Capacity Enhancements 2 consultation as set out in Appendix A.

A parallel decision is being considered by Cambridge City Council to be agreed, and delegated authority is given to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development to agree any minor amendments to the response agreed by the City Council that are consistent with the response at Appendix A.

Purpose

1.            The purpose of this report is to agree the Council’s response to the public consultation on the submission version of the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan. The consultation runs for 8 weeks from 27 September until 23 November 2021.

Background

2.            The Gamlingay Neighbourhood Area was designated on 3 February 2015. The neighbourhood area is for the whole parish of Gamlingay. 

3.            Officers provided informal comments on earlier drafts of the Neighbourhood Plan ahead of the formal pre-submission consultation process and recognise the hard work that those on the steering group of the neighbourhood plan have put into preparing the Plan. This group has strived to ensure that the whole village had an opportunity to have an input into the final Plan.

4.            A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) screening was undertaken on a draft version of the Neighbourhood Plan, and a screening determination was published in September 2019. Following on from this screening which determined that a full SEA was required a SEA was produced in July 2020.

5.            Pre-submission public consultation on the draft Neighbourhood Plan was undertaken by the Parish Council from 7 September to 30 October 2020. Officers provided a formal response to the consultation, providing constructive comments about the Neighbourhood Plan to assist the neighbourhood plan group with finalising the Neighbourhood Plan. Officers have met with the steering group to discuss these comments and are aware that the submission version of the plan has not included many changes.

6.            On 26 August 2021, Gamlingay Parish Council submitted their Neighbourhood Plan to SCDC. Officers have confirmed, as set out in the Legal Compliance Check for the Neighbourhood Plan that the submitted version of the Neighbourhood Plan and its accompanying supporting documents comply with all the relevant statutory requirements at this stage of plan making.

7.            We therefore were able to carry out a consultation on the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan from 27 September to 23 November 2021.

8.            Officers, in conjunction with Gamlingay Parish Council, are in the process of appointing an independent examiner to consider this Neighbourhood Plan. All comments submitted during the public consultation on the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan will be provided to the examiner for their consideration.

Considerations

9.            The Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared by Gamlingay Parish Council to provide planning policies for development in the area, with the aim of providing greater clarity when determining planning applications in the area. The Neighbourhood Plan includes 12 planning policies that cover a range of issues including:

(i)            Housing growth including allocating a site

(ii)           Protecting the local character of the parish

(iii)          Local employment

(iv)          Protecting valued local amenities

(v)           Transport provision on developments encouraging walking, cycling and horse riding.

10.          To successfully proceed through its examination to a referendum, a Neighbourhood Plan must meet a number of tests known as the ‘Basic Conditions’. These tests are different to the tests of soundness that a Local Plan must meet. The Basic Conditions are set out in national planning guidance and are summarised as follows:

(a)          having regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State it is appropriate to make the Neighbourhood Plan.

(b)          the making of the Neighbourhood Plan contributes to the achievement of sustainable development.

(c)           the Neighbourhood Plan is in general conformity with the strategic policies contained in the development plan for the area.

(d)          the making of the Neighbourhood Plan does not breach, and is otherwise compatible with, EU obligations; and

(e)          prescribed conditions are met in relation to the Neighbourhood Plan, including that the making of the neighbourhood plan is not likely to have a significant effect on a European wildlife site or a European offshore marine site either alone or in combination with other plans or projects.

(f)            the making of the neighbourhood development plan does not breach the requirements of Chapter 8 of Part 6 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

Our Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit includes Guidance Note 11 (What are the Basic Conditions and How to Meet Them), which sets out further details on each of the Basic Conditions. When a Neighbourhood Plan is submitted to the local planning authority it must be accompanied by a Basic Conditions Statement that sets out how the Parish Council considers that their Neighbourhood Plan meets the Basic Conditions. 

11.          When considering a Neighbourhood Plan, the examiner will assess whether or not the Neighbourhood Plan meets the Basic Conditions. When an examiner recommends that the Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to referendum (if it meets the Basic Conditions, with or without modifications), the examiner’s report must also set out whether the referendum area should be extended beyond the neighbourhood area. Comments made during the current consultation on the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan, which will be provided to the examiner for their consideration, should therefore address whether the submitted Neighbourhood Plan meets the Basic Conditions and can also address whether the referendum area should be extended beyond the neighbourhood area.

12.          SCDC is fully supportive of Parish Councils bringing forward Neighbourhood Plans for their areas, including Gamlingay Parish Council’s decision to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan, and officers have been supporting the Parish Council in the plan’s preparation. The Council’s proposed response to this public consultation on the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan is set out in Appendix 1.

13.          SCDC is supportive of the aims of the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Plan and our comments are intended to help the Plan to be successful at examination as well as delivering policies that are clear in their meaning and are unambiguous in their interpretation. SCDC recognise the achievement of Gamlingay PC in reaching this stage of submitting their Plan to us for examination.

14.          If the examiner is minded to recommend that the Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to referendum, the Council does not feel that the referendum area needs to be extended beyond the designated Neighbourhood Area as the planning policies included in the plan would not have a substantial, direct or demonstrable impact beyond the parish. 

To agree the response from SCDC set out at Appendix 1.