Policy S/JH: New jobs and homes

Meeting needs 

1.

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

will meet the objectively assessed needs in

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

over the period 2024-2045 for: 

  a. 73,300 additional jobs to support the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

’s knowledge intensive sectors, and also provide a diverse range of local jobs; and 

  b. A minimum of 48,195 new homes meeting the needs for the total population, including for affordable housing and the specialist accommodation needs of specific groups such as Gypsies,

Travellers refers to both Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

,

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

, looked after children, older people, students, those with disabilities, and boat dwellers. 

2. Within the total number of homes required, development will meet the following accommodation needs of Gypsies,

Travellers refers to both Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

and

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

over the period 2024-2045: 

  a. 159 pitches for

Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such.

, and 

  b. 20 plots for

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

. 

3. Within the total number of homes required, development will meet the following specialist accommodation needs for older people and people with disabilities over the period 2024-2045: 

  a. 1,305 additional housing units with support (consisting of all market housing units), 

  b. 1,268 additional market and affordable housing units with care (consisting of 1,011 market housing units and 257 affordable housing units), and 

  c. 1,508 additional nursing and residential care bedspaces. 

4. Within the total number of homes required, development will provide 2,042 additional units to meet the accommodation needs of students over the period 2024-2033. 

Housing requirements for neighbourhood areas 

5. The housing requirements for designated neighbourhood areas, and the methodology through which the housing requirement for any additional or amended neighbourhood areas would be calculated, is set out in Appendix D: Housing requirement for neighbourhood areas within

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

. 

National planning policy sets out that that plans should provide for objectively assessed needs for housing and other uses. This policy only deals with housing and employment needs. Policies within the other themes address needs for other uses, including the critical infrastructure required to support these homes and jobs.

Jobs and homes 

For housing, national planning policy says that local plans should support the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, providing, as a minimum, the number of homes informed by a local housing need assessment using the standard method in national planning guidance. The Planning Practice Guidance confirms there will be circumstances where it is appropriate to consider whether actual housing need is higher than that indicated by the standard method. For jobs, national planning policy expects plans should support economic growth and productivity. The continuing strength of the nationally important

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

economy provides justification for exploring higher employment and related housing figures. 

To identify local plan needs we commissioned evidence to consider how many jobs the government’s mandatory minimum housing need calculation would support, and separately the most likely future forecast for jobs for

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

and the homes that this would require. 

For jobs, the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

Employment and Housing Evidence Update 2025 (EHEU 2025) draws on the latest available data to identify the “central” most likely future jobs forecast taking account of what is unique about the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

economy. The central forecast assumes strong growth of around 4,000 additional jobs per annum or more through to 2045 – continuing the recent period of rapid growth seen in

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

’s Knowledge Intensive sectors, but also building in an assumption that there will be slower or contracting periods and unforeseen shocks, which are likely in most economies. We consider that we should plan for this forecast of the most likely level of new jobs. 

We are however mindful that the EHEU 2025 also identified a higher growth forecast, placing greater weight on rapid growth in the recent past, particularly in key sectors, and that it recommended providing flexibility in employment land in case the market delivers more jobs than anticipated. 

Building on the jobs forecasts, the EHEU 2025 identifies employment land needs for the 2024-45 plan period as follows, drawing also on market signals and stakeholder engagement, and incorporating a flexibility margin and allowance for vacant floorspace: 

• 302,600 sqm offices and 600,000 sqm of Research and

  This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

  (R&D) space
• 317,000 sqm of industrial / warehousing (use classes B2/B8). 

For homes, the EHEU 2025 identifies that the outcome of the Government’s

A government formula that helps councils to work out how many homes are needed in a given local area. Details of the standard method can be found on the government’s ‘planning guidance - Housing and economic needs assessment’ website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/housing-and-economic-development-needs-assessments

for calculating minimum housing need, which increased significantly in 2024, would support the most likely forecast for future jobs, thereby supporting the continued flourishing of the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

economy. 

Our objectively assessed needs have been calculated jointly for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire, which together form

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

, and therefore the objectively assessed need for homes will be applied jointly for the purposes of housing delivery, such as calculating housing land supply and the Housing Delivery Test. 

The housing need identified in the policy addresses the needs of the total population. As such, the needs for affordable housing and specialist housing for specific groups set out below form part of this total need and are not additional to it. 

Gypsy and Traveller pitch and

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

plot requirements 

National planning policy sets out that local planning authorities should set targets for Gypsy and Traveller pitches and

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

plots within their local plans, and that a sufficient amount and variety of land needs to be able to come forward to address the needs of groups with specific housing requirements, including travellers. 

An Accommodation Needs Assessment (ANA, September 2024) has been undertaken to calculate Gypsy and Traveller pitch and

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

plot requirements in

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

. The ANA 2024 records that there are no sites for

Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such.

or yards for

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

within Cambridge. The ANA and its Addendum (October 2025) have considered the accommodation needs of Gypsies,

Travellers refers to both Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

and

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

from 2023/24 to 2044/45, and have concluded that there is: 

• a minimum need for 157 additional permanent pitches for

  Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such.

  within South Cambridgeshire; 
• a potential need for 2 pitches for

  Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such.

  within Cambridge – based on national data, but that there is no specific evidence of need; 
• a need for 20 additional permanent plots for

  Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

  within South Cambridgeshire; and 
• no specific evidence of need for

  Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

  plots within Cambridge. 

Specialist accommodation needs of specific groups 

National planning policy sets out that a sufficient amount and variety of land needs to be able to come forward to address the needs of groups with specific housing requirements, including looked after children, older people, those with disabilities, and students. Additionally, national legislation requires local authorities to carry out an assessment of the accommodation needs of all people residing in or resorting to their area in houseboats or caravans. 

Our evidence concludes that there are no specific accommodation needs for additional residential moorings or residential caravan parks, and our evidence identifies that there could be a small need for additional bedspaces for looked after children, but that this will depend on the success or otherwise of preferred alternatives such as familial care or foster care. 

A Housing Needs of Specific Groups Update report for

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

(HNSG Update, October 2025) has been undertaken to consider the accommodation needs of older people, those with disabilities, and students from 2024 to 2045. The HNSG Update has concluded that for older people and disabled peopled there is a specialist accommodation need for: 

• 290 additional housing units with support in Cambridge (all market housing); 
• 1,015 additional housing units with support in South Cambridgeshire (all market housing); 
• additional housing units with care in Cambridge (405 market housing and 68 affordable housing); 
• 795 additional housing units with care in South Cambridgeshire (606 market housing and 189 affordable housing); 
• 534 additional nursing and residential care bedspaces in Cambridge; and 
• 974 additional nursing and residential care bedspaces in South Cambridgeshire. 

Engagement with Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge and its Colleges has concluded that for students there is a specialist accommodation need for 2,042 additional student units by 2033.  

Housing requirement for neighbourhood areas 

Local communities can decide to prepare neighbourhood plans for their local area. National planning policy requires local plans to set out a housing requirement for designated neighbourhood areas, which falls within the overall housing requirement and which reflects the overall strategy for the pattern and scale of development and any relevant allocations. The Planning Practice Guidance makes clear that such requirements cannot be binding, as neighbourhood plans are not required to plan for housing. There are currently 27 neighbourhood areas designated within

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

, and a housing requirement for each of these neighbourhood areas has been identified as set out in Appendix D: Housing requirement for neighbourhood areas within

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

. An approach for calculating the housing requirement for any new or amended neighbourhood areas has also been set out in this same appendix. 

The housing requirement for an individual neighbourhood area has been identified taking account of the overall housing requirement, the development strategy, existing supply and the proposed additional allocations, and the population of the neighbourhood area. The housing requirement applies to the plan period of 2024-2045 and a

A plan prepared by a parish council or neighbourhood forum for a designated neighbourhood area. This is described as a neighbourhood development plan in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

can choose to meet or exceed this housing requirement. 

The delivery of allocations already included in the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

cannot be used to meet the housing requirement of a neighbourhood area.  

Retail, leisure and hotels 

Our draft

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

is being prepared at a time of great change in the retail and leisure sectors. Our latest evidence studies show that, overall, there is no need for additional comparison goods or leisure floorspace over the period, with a need for limited additional capacity for convenience shopping. The focus of the new local plan will therefore be on supporting existing centres adapt to change and stay vital and viable, whilst supporting delivery of new centres in our new strategic scale mixed use sites. We will update this evidence again prior to the Proposed Submission stage of plan making. 

There is a need for new hotel accommodation, responding to the success of the tourism sector locally, nationally, internationally and to support the planned growth in jobs. There is an identified need for between 1,557 and 3,740 additional bedspaces between 2024 and 2045 with a base case need for around 2,000 new bedspaces in Cambridge city centre and its periphery (3 miles) and 220 in South Cambridgeshire by 2045. The base case presents a reasonable and likely scenario. Some of this need will be met by existing planned supply. Additional hotels are also included as part of allocations proposed in this Plan.  

Includes transport, energy, water, waste, digital/smart, social and green infrastructure.

needs 

Meeting the homes and jobs also brings the need to support development with the right infrastructure. This draft

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

is accompanied by an

Includes transport, energy, water, waste, digital/smart, social and green infrastructure.

Delivery Plan which identifies what is needed, when it is needed, and how it will be funded. This includes a wide range of topics such as transport improvements, schools, community facilities, and sports and leisure facilities. In some cases this is informed by topic specific studies, such as our evidence exploring the need for playing pitches. 

The plan has also been subject to a whole plan Viability Assessment, to test whether the proposed policies were capable of being delivered by developers alongside the infrastructure they would need to deliver or fund. The assessment demonstrates that developments are viable when the requirements of the plan are considered, and will be able to contribute effectively to the delivery of infrastructure. 

Engaging with health providers 

Working with the health sector has been a key issue for the plan. Local plans need to help deliver neighbourhoods that promote good health, helping people to stay healthy and meeting health needs within communities. Discussions with health colleagues across the area have helped shape the policies specific to the wellbeing and social inclusion chapter but also policies throughout the plan which will influence how future developments are designed. Measures include providing homes which can be adapted to help people stay in the community and providing flexible community facilities which can also serve a health function. 

In addition, we have been working closely with the Cambridge and Peterborough Integrated Care Board Premises & Estates Team, System Estates Group and NHS Property Services on the

Includes transport, energy, water, waste, digital/smart, social and green infrastructure.

Delivery Plan to identify the health infrastructure needed as part of new developments. This is being informed by the NHS 10 Year Plan and Integrated Care Board Estates Strategy and will include the provision of large health hubs to help accommodate some hospital services and an expansion of collocated primary and community care services into new integrated neighbourhood health centres. 

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

  : Strategy Topic Paper (2025)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Employment and Housing Evidence Update (2025)
• Accommodation Needs Assessment of Gypsies,

  Travellers refers to both Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

  ,

  Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers.

  , Bargee

  Travellers refers to both Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

  , and other caravan and houseboat dwellers for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire (September 20-24) and Addendum (October 2025)
• Housing Needs of Specific Groups Update for

  The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  (2025)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  draft

  A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

  Includes transport, energy, water, waste, digital/smart, social and green infrastructure.

  Delivery Plan (2025)

We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

.

All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.