Consultation is open from 3 August 2026 9:00am to 25 September 2026 5:00pm
Policy GP/PP: People and place responsive design
1. Development proposals are required to sustain and enhance the unique qualities of their local context and the Greater Cambridge area. Development proposals will be supported that:
a. Respond to Greater Cambridge’s communities by:
i. Identifying and responding positively to their context, including existing physical features and characteristics of natural, historic, social or local importance;
ii. Meeting the principles of inclusive and healthy design, and in particular meeting the needs of disabled people and those with caring responsibilities, older people, and young people and children;
iii. Designing streets, places and public realm to remove the threat or perceived threat of crime and improve community safety, especially for those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act;
iv. Empowering people and communities through community engagement in early stages of the planning process such as through masterplanning exercises to inform and shape design decisions and participation in delivering public art; and
v. Encouraging local groups to prepare Neighbourhood plans to set out design principles which respond to the local context and character of the area. Design codes may also be appropriate in responding to people and place through design elements that follow the National Model Design Code (and successor documents).
b. Improve Greater Cambridge’s connectivity by:
i. Creating well connected and integrated places that respond to the immediate locality and wider area including existing or planned social, environmental, and sustainable transport infrastructure; and
ii. Maximising active travel and new and improved coherent, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive walking, wheeling and cycle routes, as set out in the Infrastructure Chapter.
c. Support the climate emergency response by:
i. Designing long lasting, high quality development that has low impact in delivery, operation and maintenance, without compromising design quality; and
ii. Considering climate change mitigation and adaptation through appropriate strategies as set out in the Climate Change Chapter.
d. Enhance the character of Greater Cambridge by:
i. Having a positive impact on their setting in terms of location on the site, height and skyline, scale and form, townscape and landscape impacts and available views, to create a legacy of high quality buildings and spaces in Greater Cambridge;
ii. Using appropriate local characteristics to inform the siting, massing, scale, form, materials and landscape design of new development; and
iii. Ensuring that proposals for any tall buildings are of exceptional quality and ensure that the character or appearance of Cambridge, as a city of spires and towers emerging above the established tree line, is maintained.
Supporting information
7.7. This policy will set a strategic vision for achieving high quality design in Greater Cambridge for both urban and rural areas. This provides clear expectation around understanding the context of development proposals, both in terms of impact on the place around them and the needs of users.
7.8. The NPPF states that the creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. Greater Cambridge has a strong history of delivering well designed places with many award-winning schemes in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Since 2008, the core themes covering Community, Connectivity, Climate and Character set out in the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth have been used to clearly identify the expected quality of new developments.
7.9. Greater Cambridge is a place of varied and subtle character, from the historic core of the Cambridge urban area to emerging business and employment clusters, the biodiverse fen landscapes to the north and rolling countryside to the south, the historic villages and new towns. Aiming for design excellence is crucial for all types of development, whether buildings or open space, regardless of tenure, use or ownership. Innovative, high quality design must be realised to ensure that new development respects and integrates with existing character, assets and settings, while also constituting high quality architecture. This is a key factor for successful placemaking as well as a key challenge.
7.10. Where appropriate planning applications must include a design and access statement, relevant to the scale and context of the proposed development, that addresses the relevant policy requirements. Clear design principles must be established at outline planning application stage, and a masterplan may be appropriate for phased development on strategic sites, or for other development that requires a comprehensive design framework.
7.11. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code stipulates that Local Planning Authorities should prepare area-based character assessments, local design guides or codes, consistent with these and tailored to the circumstances of the local area following community involvement to reflect local character and design preferences. The Local Planning Authorities have a range of design guidance already in place including the South Cambridgeshire District Design Guide, individual village designs guides and policies within neighbourhood plans.
7.12. The Local Planning Authorities have established The Greater Cambridge Design Review Panel to support the aspirations to raise design quality across the local plan area, and has conducted a site typologies study to understand, protect, utilise and enhance the valued characteristics of different areas in the plan. These should ensure that the key aspects and qualities of the built form and varying contexts across the Greater Cambridge area.
7.13. The Local Planning Authorities are also committed to empowering people and communities in community participation, through the Youth Engagement Service that aims to ensure that children and young people have genuine input into the design of development proposals. This includes the design of buildings, play spaces, public realm and public art at the early stages of the planning process.
Tell us what you think
For further guidance on how to submit comments, please see the Representation Guidance Note.
All comments must be received by 25 September 2026 at 5pm.