Decision details

- To agree a joint response to the government consultation ‘Creating a vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc’ with Cambridge City Council

- Endorse the shared environment principles; and,

- Supports the future development of an Arc Environment Strategy which will provide for how the principles can be delivered.

Matter for Decision

The purpose of the report was to agree Cambridge City Council’s response jointly with South Cambridgeshire District Council, to the Government's Creating a Vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc Consultation for which the deadline for responses was 12th October. Also, for Cambridge City Council to endorse the locally led Environment Principles produced by the Arc Leadership Group.

 

Decision of the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport.

i.   Agreed a joint response with South Cambridgeshire District Council to the Government’s Creating a Vision Oxford-Cambridge Arc Consultation as set out in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report.

ii.   Endorsed the shared Environment Principles at Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report hereto.

iii.   Supported the development of an Arc Environment Strategy which would provide for how the principles could be delivered.in the Officer’s report.

iv.   Agreed to write to Anthony Browne MP and Daniel Zeichner MP requesting they support the Environmental Principles at Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable

 

Scrutiny Considerations

In response to Members’ questions Officers said the following:

  i.  Noted Members’ assumption that rail would be electric and should be the only option.

  ii.  As reported at the previous Planning and Transport Community meeting, the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport in consultation with Chair and Spokes had in response to East West Rail Informal Consultation Stage expressed their support of electric rail only.

  iii.  Important to understand the environment principles had been formed by the local authorities and would be difficult for central Government to ignore if all local authorities were to approve them.

  iv.  The consultation was aimed as a ‘first conversation’ with communities across the arc. This was not the primary channel for Local Authorities as there were work streams which they were being engaged upon.

  v.  Believed it was important to put forward the Council’s position in relation to the emerging Local Plan.

 

Councillor Bick proposed an additional recommendation:

  i.  To write to Anthony Browne MP and Daniel Zeichner MP requesting they support the Environmental Principles at Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report.

 

The additional recommendation was carried unanimously.

 

The Committee

The recommendations in the Officer’s report were voted on separately by the Committee, the votes were as follows:

 

  i.  The Committee unanimously endorsed the recommendation i as set out in the Officer’s report.

  ii.  The Committee endorsed the recommendation ii as set out in the Officer’s report by 8 votes to 0.

  iii.  The Committee unanimously endorsed the recommendation iii as set out in the Officer’s report.

  iv.  The Committee unanimously endorsed the additional recommendation iv to write to Anthony Browne MP and Daniel Zeichner MP requesting they support the Environmental Principles at Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report

 

The Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.