Policy GP/ST: Skyline and tall buildings

1. Proposals for taller buildings will be supported where they are appropriate to their location and demonstrate a positive response to the wider setting. Developments that break or cause significant change to the existing skyline and/or significantly taller than the surrounding built form (as defined by the local context heights in Appendix H:

An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky known as the skyline of the city.

and tall buildings guidance), will be assessed against the following criteria: 

  a. Location, setting and context – applicants must demonstrate through visual appraisals, with supporting accurate visual representations, how the proposals fit within the existing landscape and townscape and provide a clear assessment of how proposals maintain or enhance the skyline. 

  b. Impact on the historic environment – applicants must demonstrate and quantify the potential harm of proposals to the significance of heritage assets or other sensitive receptors (view of, backdrop and setting), assessed on a site-by-site basis. These will include impact on key landmarks and viewpoints (identified in Appendix H:

An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky known as the skyline of the city.

and tall buildings guidance) including from main streets, local vantagepoints (such as bridges) and open spaces as well as, dynamic views from roads and, where applicable, The River Cam corridor. For Cambridge, proposals must ensure that the character and appearance of a city of spires and towers emerging above the established tree line, remains dominant from relevant viewpoints. 

  c. Scale and massing – applicants must demonstrate using scaled drawings, sections, accurate visual representations and models, how their proposals will deliver a high-quality addition to the skyline. This will include assessment of the cumulative impact at both strategic and local levels with other existing or emerging proposals as well as against the baseline at the time the application is being made. 

  d. Design quality – applicants must demonstrate how their proposals create well- proportioned buildings expressing elegance, proportionality and verticality that articulate base, middle and top using high quality materials and detailing that architecturally integrates plant, lift overruns and flues. Where appropriate, proposals should introduce a mix of uses that generate activity and a human scale at street level. 

  e.

Element of a location or neighbourhood that helps to make it attractive or enjoyable for residents and visitors such as parks, gardens, peaceful environments or access to community services and facilities.

and microclimate – applicants must demonstrate that there is no adverse impact on neighbouring buildings and open spaces in terms of the diversion of wind, overlooking or overshadowing, and that there is adequate sunlight and daylight within and around the proposals. 

  f. Suicide prevention – applicants must demonstrate how their proposal incorporates appropriate mechanisms to reduce access to means of suicide. Design will be determined by the structure of the buildings and its surroundings. 

Cambridge will seek to maintain and enhance the overall character and qualities of its skyline as the city and surrounding district continue to grow. The city and its surroundings are largely free from clusters of modern high-rise buildings but pressures to intensify sites often result in increased bulk and massing which needs to be carefully assessed to understand cumulative impacts on the skyline. Proposals for tall buildings within South Cambridgeshire will need to demonstrate how they can successfully fit into the overall rural character of the district. Further advice on skyline and tall buildings, along with the requirements of the assessment criteria for proposals is set out in Appendix H:

An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky known as the skyline of the city.

and tall buildings guidance. 

The skyline of Cambridge is characterised by a cityscape of spires and towers rising above a well-established tree canopy. Subtle variations in topography contribute to a skyline defined by a series of ‘incidents’, where prominent buildings punctuate an otherwise consistent lower-scale built form. Within the historic core, larger ‘set piece’ college buildings provide a striking contrast to more modest ‘background buildings’, which typically range from three to five storeys. In the suburbs, building heights are generally lower, although they tend to increase along key approach routes and at major junctions. Notable exceptions to the prevailing scale and massing occur at the city’s fringes, including the hospital complex at Addenbrooke’s, the hangars at Cambridge Airport, and the Research Parks situated both at the edge of the city and within South Cambridgeshire. These areas accommodate larger-footprint buildings designed to meet contemporary research and clinical needs. 

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.

in South Cambridgeshire is typically lower in density and domestic in scale, with church towers and spires rising above mature tree canopies to create visual connections between settlements. Larger-footprint research and development facilities, along with smaller-scale industrial buildings, often present a contrasting character to their surroundings. The emerging new towns at Northstowe and Waterbeach introduce the potential for buildings of greater height and massing than those found in existing villages. 

Given the large number of designated heritage assets within the historic core of Cambridge, including a significant number of highly graded heritage assets of great national importance, the potential impact that a proposal for a tall building may have on the significance of those assets will be a critical factor in the consideration of the proposal. For this reason, it is very unlikely that there would be many instances or scope for introducing new tall buildings in or around the historic core. The impact on the setting of heritage assets should be assessed in accordance with the guidance set out in The Setting of Heritage Assets: Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 3 (Second Edition) and Tall Buildings: Historic England Advice Note 4 or any successor documents. 

Developers bringing forward proposals for tall buildings should refer to Appendix H:

An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky known as the skyline of the city.

and tall buildings guidance of the plan, which sets out the required approach, methodology, and assessment criteria for considering skyline and tall buildings within

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

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When submitting planning proposals for tall buildings developers should refer to part 3 of the Preventing suicides in public places – A practice resource published by Public Health England which sets out interventions to prevent suicide. It sets out actions that developers can implement to restrict access to the means of suicide such as implementing interventions through measures such as fencing with a minimum height of 2.5m in tall buildings, inwardly curving fences to make it difficult to climb out. Design of intervention in tall buildings will be determined by the nature of the structure and its surroundings. 

• 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.

  : Topic Paper 5: Great Places
• Cambridge

  An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky known as the skyline of the city.

  and Tall Building Strategy
• Preventing Suicides in Public Places - A practice resource

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.

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