Agenda

Approx: 16:00 am – 17:30 am

Site Context

The application site falls within the South of Coldham’s Lane Area of Major Change, identified by Policy 16 of the Cambridge Local Plan 2018. This area covers several parcels of land to the south of Coldham’s Lane and north of the railway line, and includes the three lakes to the south and west of the railway line.

Policy 16 labels two of these parcels as area A; the first parcel is located between Norman Way and Kathleen Elliot Way, on the northern side of the Tins path. The second is located south of the Tins and north of the railway line.  A third parcel, area B, lies south of Cambridge Airport and west of Coldham’s Business Park.

The pre-application proposal site includes both areas A and B, and the two lakes south of the Tins path. Areas A and B and the lakes are identified within the Local Plan as Protected Open Space. Areas A and B are closed landfill sites for domestic refuse. Area A and the lakes are City Wildlife Sites. The Cambridge Airport Public Safety Zone covers the northwest corner of area B, and the Cambridge Eastern Access consultation area runs through the southeast portion of area B.

The Tins path runs east to west through the site, linking the lakes to areas A and B. Snakey Path runs alongside Cherry Hinton brook, to the south of the lakes, before it joins Burnside. A Tree Preservation Order covers trees on the north-eastern side of Burnside.

The pre-application site is also located to the south of Land North of Cherry Hinton, where Outline planning permission has been granted for 1200 homes.

Planning Policy Context

Policy 16: South of Coldham’s Lane Area of Major Change allows for appropriate commercial uses on area A, and some outdoor recreational uses and ecological enhancement on area B. The area south of the railway line, including the lakes, is required to provide primarily passive outdoor recreation opportunities in the form of a new urban country park. The development of a masterplan for the area is required to set out the form of these principal uses, and the approach to built form, access, landscaping and management.

Development is supported by Policy 16 where it;

i) takes into account the site’s environmental and safety constraints,

ii) establishes the nature of the urban country park,

iii)is subject to a feasibility study

iv) includes upgrading of existing public routes,

v) is part of a masterplan for the area,

vi) and recognises and enhances sites of nature conservation importance.

Given the former landfill use of areas A and B, Policy 33 (Contaminated Land) is relevant, and requires the applicant to demonstrate that there will be no adverse impacts to future and surrounding occupiers or to the environment from ground contamination and on-site and off-site gas migration.

Due to the designation of area A and the lakes as City Wildlife Sites, Policy 69 (Protection of sites of biodiversity and geodiversity importance)  ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Councillor attendance

Whilst any subsequent planning application relating to this site will be determined by the Planning Committee, all Councillors are invited to attend and take part in this pre-application developer presentation.

Purpose of the meeting

These meetings allow developers an early opportunity to present proposals for future planning applications to elected members of the Council.

The process allows Councillors to feed into the process at an early stage and raise any questions or concerns that can then be addressed by the developer prior to a formal planning application being submitted.

Whilst the meetings will be held in public, they do not form part of the formal decision making process. All planning applications will be determined in line with formal processes as adopted by Cambridge City Council.  

Format of the Meeting

For each Briefing:

·       Introduction by the Head of Planning Services or a Senior Planning Officer – up to 10 minutes

·       Presentation by the developer of the proposal – up to 30 minutes

·       Opportunity for Members to ask questions, raise issues, seek clarification, comment on the apparent positive and less positive aspects of the proposal – up to 40 minutes

During this part of the meeting it is important that Councillors who may ultimately make the decision on any subsequent planning application do not feel unduly constrained by what they can ask or raise. However they should avoid expressing views that might give any appearance that they are approaching the proposal with a closed mind. The discussion should not be used for negotiations with the developer. These should take place with officers separately from the meeting. Members of the public must refrain from entering into the discussion at the meeting.

·       Summing up – up to 10 minutes

A Planning Department representative will take notes of the meeting, which will be a summary of the proceedings. Nothing said by Councillors at the meeting will in any way be binding on the Committee that subsequently determines the application. The notes will be uploaded to the City Council’s website upon completion.