Policy S/SH: Settlement hierarchy

Cambridge 

1. Residential development and redevelopment without any limit on individual scheme size will be permitted within Cambridge’s defined development extent as defined on the Policies Map, provided that adequate services, facilities and infrastructure are available or can be made available as a result of the development. 

Towns 

2. The following settlements are identified as towns: Cambourne, Northstowe, Waterbeach new town. 

3. Residential development and redevelopment without any limit on individual scheme size will be permitted within the defined development extents of towns, as defined on the Policies Map, provided that adequate services, facilities and infrastructure are available or can be made available as a result of the development. 

Rural centres 

4. The following settlements are identified as Rural centres: Great Shelford and Stapleford, Histon and Impington, and Sawston. 

5. Residential development and redevelopment without any limit on individual scheme size will be permitted within the defined development extents of Rural centres, as defined on the Policies Map, provided that adequate services, facilities and infrastructure are available or can be made available as a result of the development. 

Minor rural centres 

6. The following settlements are identified as Minor rural centres: Bar Hill, Bassingbourn, Comberton, Cottenham, Fulbourn, Gamlingay, Girton, Linton, Melbourn, Milton, Papworth Everard, Swavesey, Waterbeach, Willingham.

7. Residential development and redevelopment up to an indicative maximum scheme size of 30 dwellings will be permitted within the defined development extents of Minor rural centres, as defined on the Policies Map. 

Group villages 

8. The following settlements are identified as Group villages: Balsham, Babraham, Barrington, Barton, Bourn, Castle Camps, Coton, Dry Drayton, Duxford, Elsworth, Eltisley, Fen Ditton, Fen Drayton, Fowlmere, Foxton, Great Abington, Great Wilbraham, Guilden Morden, Hardwick, Harston, Haslingfield, Hauxton, Highfield Caldecote, Little Abington, Longstanton, Meldreth, Oakington, Orwell, Over, Steeple Morden, Teversham, Thriplow, Whittlesford. 

9. Residential development and redevelopment up to an indicative maximum scheme size of 8 dwellings will be permitted within the defined development extents of Group villages, as defined on the Policies Map. 

10.

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.

may exceptionally consist of up to about 15 dwellings where this would make the best use of a single brownfield site. 

Infill villages 

11. The following villages are identified as Infill villages: Abington Pigotts, Arrington, Bartlow, Boxworth, Carlton, Caxton, Childerley, Conington, Croxton, Croydon, East Hatley, Grantchester, Graveley, Great Chishill, Great Eversden, Harlton, Hatley St George, Heathfield, Heydon, Hildersham, Hinxton, Horningsea, Horseheath, Ickleton, Kingston, Knapwell, Kneesworth, Landbeach, Litlington, Little Chishill, Little Eversden, Little Gransden, Little Shelford, Little Wilbraham, Lolworth, Longstowe, Madingley, Newton, Pampisford, Papworth St Agnes, Rampton, Shepreth, Shingay- cum-Wendy, Shudy Camps, Six Mile Bottom, Stow-cum-Quy, Streetly End, Tadlow, Toft, Weston Colville, Weston Green, West Wickham, West Wratting, Whaddon, Wimpole. 

12. Residential development and redevelopment within the defined development extents of these settlements, as defined on the Policies Map, will be restricted to scheme sizes of not more than 2 dwellings (indicative size) comprising: 

  i. A gap in an otherwise built-up frontage to an existing road, provided that it is not sufficiently large to accommodate more than two dwellings on similar curtilages to those adjoining; or 

  ii. The redevelopment or sub-division of an existing residential curtilage; or 

  iii. The sub-division of an existing dwelling; 

  iv. The conversion or redevelopment of a non-residential building where this would not result in a loss of local employment. 

13. In very exceptional circumstances a slightly larger development (not more than about 8 dwellings) may be permitted where this would lead to the sustainable recycling of a brownfield site bringing positive overall benefit to the settlement.

The settlement hierarchy remains an important element of the sustainable development strategy, helping direct housing to the most sustainable locations and control the level of windfall development that takes place in the least sustainable areas of

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

, whilst enhancing the vitality of rural communities and enabling the recycling of land. 

There is a delicate balance between supporting housing development and the reuse of brownfield land, whilst avoiding unsustainable scales of development in areas where there is more limited access to services, facilities, and employment. Whilst the Councils want to provide flexibility to help meet housing needs, that has to be balanced with the evidence from our Net Zero Carbon Study (2021) that growth in smaller settlements tend to generate higher levels of carbon than urban development. The indicative scheme sizes within the policy provide an appropriate balance for considering windfall development. 

The indicative scheme size does not apply to allocations forming part of the overall development strategy 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.

. These have been specifically selected as part of the wider development strategy, and in some cases exceed these levels. 

Cambridge 

As the largest and most sustainable settlement of the

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

area Cambridge is at the top of the settlement hierarchy. Cambridge has secondary schools, significant employment opportunities, a large number and variety of services and facilities, and has high quality public transport services. Scheme size for windfall residential development within Cambridge does not need to be limited. 

Towns 

Towns are the largest, most sustainable settlements within

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

after Cambridge. Cambourne is the most developed, but the new towns at Waterbeach and Northstowe will see considerable development during the plan period. They have, or will have, good access to a secondary school, employment opportunities, a variety of services and facilities and have good public transport services to Cambridge. Scheme size for windfall residential development within the towns should it come forward does not need to be limited. 

Rural centres 

Rural centres are the largest, most sustainable villages within

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

. They have good access to a secondary school (either within the settlement or accessible by good public transport), employment opportunities, a variety of services and facilities and have high quality public transport in the form of a segregated public transport route services (such as the

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

Partnership schemes or the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway) to Cambridge or a market town. 

Future development will comprise of development and redevelopment within the defined development extents. Since the Rural centres comprise of the most sustainable villages in

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

there is no strategic constraint on the amount of development or redevelopment of land for housing that can come forward within the defined development extents, provided that the proposals are in accordance with other policies in the Plan. 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.

2018 identified that Bourn Airfield would become a Rural Centre once built. As development is at such an early stage, adding it to the settlement hierarchy policy will be left to a future plan review. 

For the purposes of settlement classification and related

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.

policies, part of Pampisford parish west of London Road on the southern end of Sawston will be treated as if part of the Rural Centre of Sawston. It is therefore included within the Sawston settlement boundary and shown on the Sawston Inset of the Policies Map. It is shown as an area covered by another map on the Pampisford Inset of the Policies Map. It remains part of Pampisford parish. 

Minor Rural Centres 

Minor rural centres have a lower level of services, facilities and employment than rural centres, but a greater level than most other settlements in

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

and often perform a role in terms of providing services and facilities for a small rural hinterland. 

Within Minor rural centres there is scope in principle for larger scale windfall development within the settlement boundary. This would allow larger settlements with a reasonable level of services to provide services and facilities for surrounding smaller settlements to achieve more development. However, the overall scale of development should be restricted in recognition of their more limited services compared to Rural centres. A maximum scheme size of 30 dwellings is used as a guideline figure to indicate the upper limit of housing development likely to be suitable.

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 not be permitted on sites capable of accommodating scheme sizes significantly larger than 30 dwellings in Minor rural centres. 

Further Minor rural centres will be added in future as set out by the relevant site development policy, and once the site is completed. The Wellcome Genome Campus is developing into a place with homes, jobs and services. Over the plan period and beyond it will develop in its role as a settlement. The mix of planned growth indicates a best fit with the role of minor rural centre, but this will be considered further in future plan reviews. 

Group villages 

As Group villages are generally less sustainable locations for new development than Rural centres and Minor rural centres, having fewer services and facilities allowing only some of the basic day-to-day requirements of their residents to be met without the need to travel outside the settlement. All Group villages have at least a primary school and limited development will help maintain remaining services and facilities and provide for affordable housing to meet local needs. In Group villages, development will not be permitted on sites capable of accommodating scheme sizes significantly larger than 8 dwellings, or exceptionally up to 15. 

Infill villages 

Infill villages are generally amongst the smallest settlements within

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

. These settlements have a poor range of services and facilities, and it is often necessary for local residents to travel outside the settlement for most of their daily needs. These settlements generally lack any food shops, have no primary school and may not have a permanent post office or a village hall or meeting place.

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.

on any scale would be unsustainable in these settlements, as it will generate a disproportionate number of additional journeys outside the settlement. In Infill villages, development will not be permitted on sites capable of accommodating scheme sizes significantly larger than 2 dwellings, or exceptionally up to 8. 

• 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 1: Strategy (Settlement Hierarchy Review appendix XX)

• 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
• Settlement Hierarchy Evidence Study update 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.

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