Issue details

This decision relates to specific delegations to the Cabinet Member for Planning agreed by Cabinet at its meeting held on 6 November 2019.  

The Local Plan is being prepared jointly for the Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council authority areas, the proposed content of, and the participation and communication strategy for the Issues & Options consultation was considered by the following meetings: 

·         Joint Local Plan Advisory Group 1 October 2019 

·         South Cambridgeshire District Council Cabinet, 6 November 2019 

·         South Cambridgeshire District Council Scrutiny & Overview, 17 October     2019 

·         Cambridge Planning & Transport Scrutiny Committee, 7 November 2019 

Cabinet on 6 November- ‘Approved the Local Plan Issues & Options report text (at Appendix E), supporting documents (at Appendices F, G and H) and consultation process (at Section VIII and Appendix B, chapter 6)’.  

Cabinet also: ‘Delegated authority to the Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, in liaison with Cambridge City Council Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces, and in consultation with members of the Joint Local Planning Advisory Group, to consider and agree, as is consistent with this Council’s corporate objectives, any material changes to the Local Plan Issues & Options report text (at Appendix E) and supporting documents (at Appendices A, B (chapter 6), F, G and H) prior to the commencement of the consultation period, including any proposed by Cambridge City Council’. 

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report

The supporting documents referred to above include the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report and Non-Technical Summary (NTS) (Appendix F).  The SA Scoping Report was sent to the Statutory Consultees Natural England, Historic England and the Environment Agency for their comments.  Comments were received from all three bodies and the Scoping Report has been updated in line with these comments by consultants Land Use Consultants who are carrying out the SA for the Councils.

Many of the changes are additional information and details about relevant studies.  Comments from the Environment Agency lead to a small change to SA Objective 10 (changed as follows: To achieve sustainable water resource management and promote enhance the quality of Greater Cambridge’s waters).  Also an additional appraisal question was added about ensuring there is sufficient water to serve new growth without negatively impacting on the environment and the appraisal question relating to waste water treatment was strengthened to refer to environmental capacity and climate change.

A new table has been added to the SA Scoping Report (Appendix 2 of that document) which sets out a summary of the comments from statutory consultees and how they have been addressed in the Scoping Report.  The revised Scoping Report is appended to this decision as Appendix 1.  Appendix 2 of that document should be referred to and it may be necessary to look back at the previous version of the report to see the changes by going to this link https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/documents/s48097/Appendix%20F%20part%202%20-%20SA%20Scoping%20Full%20Report-red.pdf

The purpose of this decision is to approve these amendments.

SA of the Issues and Options Report

The supporting documents referred to above also include the Sustainability Appraisal of the Issues and Options Report and Non-Technical Summary (Appendix G). 

As a result of the amendments to the Scoping Report, particularly in relation to SA Objective 10 and other comments made by the Environment Agency, some minor changes were made to the SA of the Issues and Options Report.  These mainly relate to the issue of water resources and the fact that the Councils are going to commission an Integrated Water Management Study as evidence base for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, which will also inform the future SA.

These amendments are shown in a tracked changes version of the document which is appended to this decision as Appendix 2.  In particular see page 14, paragraphs 3.9, 3.27 3.79 and 3.91.

The purpose of this decision is to approve these amendments. 

Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Scoping Report

The supporting documents referred to above also include the HRA Scoping Report (Appendix H).

Natural England provided comments on the HRA Scoping Report which have been used by Land Use Consultants to update this document and will be taken into account in the subsequent formal HRA stages for the Local Plan.  This information has resulted in some changes to the issues that may be of relevance to some of the designated sites.

Natural England’s comments are set out in Appendix 1 of the HRA Scoping Report in Appendix 1.  The amendments to the HRA Scoping Report itself are shown in a tracked changes version of the document which is appended to this decision as Appendix 3.

The purpose of this decision is to approve these amendments. 

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.