Policy S/CE: Cambridge East

Land at Cambridge East has long been recognised as having significant potential to be a sustainable major new eastern quarter for Cambridge, that is well connected to the rest of the City, with a mix of homes and a range of jobs and services and supporting infrastructure. Whilst the Airport and land north of Newmarket Road around the car showrooms had originally been identified for development in 2003, the adopted 2018 Local Plans changed the allocation to an approach that safeguarded the land for future development if Marshall were to advise that the Airport land would be made available for development. The adopted plans allocate land north of Newmarket Road and Land north of Cherry Hinton for housing led development as early phases of the full development that could come forward while the Airport is still operational. The adopted plans say that development on the safeguarded land will only occur once the site becomes available and following a review of both the adopted plans and the Cambridge East Area Action Plan. The new plan will include the outcome of that review.

Marshall has advised the Councils of its commitment to relocate the Airport related uses and seeks to demonstrate the availability and deliverability of the site. It advises that it has a signed option agreement at Cranfield Airport, Bedford and that there would be no commercial, planning, technical or regulatory impediment to a move to Cranfield and vacant possession is anticipated by 2030. This gives a reasonable level of confidence at this early stage in the plan process that the site is likely to come forward in time to help meet development needs in the plan period as well as beyond. It is important that there should be sufficient evidence to demonstrate clearly that the plan can be delivered by the time it reaches the later formal stages and so the position will be kept under review during the plan making process.

The proposal to include the Airport as part of the strategy for the new plan would make good use of safeguarded land in the 2018 Local Plans that is also a brownfield site and is a good fit with a low carbon growth. The additional homes and jobs envisaged for the site are proposed to be located on the 'safeguarded land' identified in the 2018 Local Plans, currently in use by Cambridge Airport; delivery of these homes and jobs would start post 2030 to follow relocation of Marshall’s airside activities. Marshall proposed a larger site that would require land to be released from the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

. The Councils consider there are no exceptional circumstances for releasing the land from the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

, and that homes and jobs would not come forward in the plan period on the basis that that only part of the site is capable of coming forward by 2041 and that development should build out from the current edge of Cambridge.

The new eastern quarter has the capability of being well connected to the rest of the City, both in terms of its location and also the provision of a new high quality public transport connection (Phase B of the

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

Partnership Cambridge Eastern Access scheme). To ensure a low carbon development the proposals will need to ensure  trips in and out of the area are minimised by providing a balance between new homes and a range of jobs. The development will also be expected to integrate positively with surrounding neighbourhoods to ensure the development is accessible to and also  brings benefits to those communities, including through provision of local jobs that help meet needs of adjoining communities and help support community cohesion. There will be a range of densities across this large site, with variations that focus higher densities at the new centre and close to the new public transport scheme.

The adopted 2018 Local Plans retained in the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

a green corridor through the development site to ensure the green corridor linking the countryside with Coldhams Common and on into the heart of Cambridge is maintained. At the end of the adopted green corridor around Teversham, it widens out to provide green separation between the new eastern quarter and the village. It is intended that this would be carried forward into the new plan. 

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.

here would provide an additional impetus to provide additional wildlife habitat land surrounding the designated nature sites to the east of Cambridge, as part of the Eastern Fens green infrastructure initiative which has been identified in the Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity theme.

In the First Conversation consultation we asked what you thought about developing around the edge of Cambridge on land outside the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

, and highlighted that the only large site on the edge of Cambridge not in the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

is Cambridge Airport. There was support for development of the site as it was not in the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

. Some questioned its availability, although Marshalls themselvesIn the First Conversation consultation we asked what you thought about developing around the edge of Cambridge on land outside the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

, and highlighted that the only large site on the edge of Cambridge not in the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

is Cambridge Airport. There was support for development of the site as it was not in the

A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

. Some questioned its availability, although Marshalls themselves commented in support of allocating the site. commented in support of allocating the site.

1. To not allocate the site and instead carry forward the safeguarded land and more limited allocations in the adopted plans, but this was not preferred given the suitability of the safeguarded land, Marshall’s have confirmed that the site will be available during the plan period, and the evidence suggests that could fit with the themes and vision for the plan.
2. A larger land release reflecting the proposal by Marshall – This alternative is not the preferred approach, due to the level of harm to

   A statutory designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped, the Green Belt has five purposes: checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other; assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

   and landscape that is not justified by exceptional circumstances or a need to meet housing or employment provision in the plan period.

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

  Short form for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, which sets out policies to guide the future development of Greater Cambridge. It also sets out where future development will take place, and identifies land for new housing, community facilities, shops and employment. It is the key document use to determine planning applications for new development in the Greater Cambridge area.

  : Topic paper 1: Strategy

Cambridge East Area Action Plan 2008 (Adopted Jointly by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council)

Cambridge

Short form for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, which sets out policies to guide the future development of Greater Cambridge. It also sets out where future development will take place, and identifies land for new housing, community facilities, shops and employment. It is the key document use to determine planning applications for new development in the Greater Cambridge area.

2018

• Policy 13: Cambridge East
• R41: Land north of Coldham’s Lane
• R45: Land north of Newmarket Road
• R47: Land north of Teversham Drift

South Cambridgeshire

Short form for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, which sets out policies to guide the future development of Greater Cambridge. It also sets out where future development will take place, and identifies land for new housing, community facilities, shops and employment. It is the key document use to determine planning applications for new development in the Greater Cambridge area.

2018

• Policy SS/3: Cambridge East

Our consultation for this phase is now closed.