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Contact: Glenn Burgess Committee Manager
No. | Item |
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Apologies for absence Minutes: No apologies were received. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: No declarations of interest were made. |
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Minutes of the last meeting Attached separately. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of 9th September 2014 were approved and signed as a correct record. |
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City Deal Member Workshop Programme briefing paper PDF 318 KB Minutes: The Committee received a briefing note and presentation from the Head of
Transport and Infrastructure Policy, regarding the
City Deal Member Workshop Programme. The presentation considered covered:
i.
The background of the City Deal and an overview of
the way forward.
ii.
Considered how to address the barriers to further
growth.
iii.
Looked at the way transport networks needed to
grow. iv.
Considered how sustainable transport solutions
could be delivered.
v.
Would be looking at both orbital and radial
networks. vi.
Funding was guaranteed for the first five years and
ongoing funding would dependant on being able to evidence the value of the
initial spending round. vii.
Outlined the five year programme. viii.
Work had been commissioned to identify where the
most benefit from investment could be achieved. ix.
The City Deal Board would be agreeing the initial
stages of the work as their first decision. Councillor Kindersley questioned where the Action Plan addressed the
issue of opportunistic developments coming forward while there was no agreed Local
Plan. A large Science Park had been proposed by Jesus College to the south of
the City. The Planning Policy Manager stated that no judgement had been made on
the Local Plan. However, the Local Plan was underpinned by a Transport Strategy,
the City Deal and strong joint working arrangements which offered a strong
position to defend. Members made the following comments in response to the presentation:
x.
Much of the focus appears to be on Cambridge but
there is a need to understand the wider area. xi.
Improved access for the West of Cambridge was
needed. xii.
Proposal present an incomplete picture and the
on-going East West rail improvements were missing. xiii.
Disappointment was expressed that the proposals
appeared to lack a high level vision. In addition, it failed to reference other
funding available for projects such as the Chisholm Bridge. There was a lack of
clarity over what was most important. xiv.
Questioned why Histon
Road bus priority schemes were back on the table when they had been abandoned previously
following public consultation. In response to Members’ questions the Head of Transport and
Infrastructure Policy, the Planning Policy Manager and Jeremy Smithstated
the following: xv.
The Transport Strategy works with the Local Plan in
proposing solutions to accommodate the future planned growth. xvi.
The Transport Strategy included walking and
cycling. xvii.
A five business case approach was used to consider
the options being put forward as the first phase City Deal programme. xviii.
Further public consultations would follow. xix.
The figures presented today are an estimate and
would change. xx.
Plans for the A428 would evolve following the Local
Plan examination and consultation. xxi.
Garden Cities had not been included in the plan and
had no current government funding. xxii.
Newmarket Road has been recognised as a key route
and action was needed quickly. xxiii.
The Chisholm Trial Cycle Bridge had been identified
as a priority scheme and had been recommended for government funding. xxiv. The funding available was a ... view the full minutes text for item 14/10/JST |
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Cambridge Northern Fringe East Area Action Plan - Issues and Options Report PDF 169 KB Attached separately. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee received a report from the Head of Planning and the Urban Extensions Project Manager regarding the
Cambridge Northern Fringe East Area Action Plan. The report outlined four options for development in the area. The
document is currently in draft form and will be going forward for scrutiny and
public consultation in the spring. Initial meeting with landowners and
utilities companies had taken place. Councillor Kindersley suggested that if expansion of the area under consideration, why not expand it further and include all the
land to the river. This would allow additional transport links to be developed.
Flood issues and sensitive handling of the traveller community would be
required. Failure to include this land, at an early stage of the consultation
process, would result in it being land locked forever. Councillor Hipkin suggested that a question
reflecting this suggestion should be added to Section 4 of the draft report. The Director of Planning and New Communities advised that increasing the
area of the Northern Fringe East Policy areato either
the North or the East was not consistent with the Local plan and would involve
including designated green belt land. Consideration would also be needed
existing policies regarding flooding and traveller sites. The Head of Planning reminded members that documents such as an Area
Action Plan would always be subservient to the Local Plan. Members argued that there was a need to show vision and that land
stretching towards the river would be ideal for a Country Park. In addition,
the granting of permission for a new railway station had impacted on the value
of land in the area. The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:
i.
The options document is lacking detailed references
to existing communities in the Chesterton area. More details were needed
regarding integration.
ii.
Concerns were raised about the impact of additional
traffic on Milton Road.
iii.
Local housing does not connect well with business developments
sites; could additional housing be added to the mix? iv.
Local residential streets would be filled with
commuter cars.
v.
Clustering of employment opportunities away from
the centre of Cambridge and into local ‘hubs’ was welcomed. In response to Members’ questions the Urban Extensions Project
Manager, the Head of Planning and Director of Planning and New Communities stated the following: vi.
Option four would be the most challenging and would
involve relocating the water treatment plant. vii.
Finding a suitable site to relocate the water
treatment works would not be easy. Sites in South Cambridgeshire had been
discussed. viii.
Cross authority support for the proposals would be
required and further meetinsg to discuss both
planning and non-planning issues were needed. ix.
The consultation process includes an open question
regarding boundary issues.
x.
The Local Plan has a long timeframe for delivery.
Some early scheme would need to be delivered to encourage future growth. xi.
The function of the railhead for industrial use would
remain part of the plan. xii. The Local Plan highlights the area as ... view the full minutes text for item 14/11/JST |
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Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory PDF 538 KB Minutes: The Committee received a report from the Head of Transport
Infrastructure regarding the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory. The Committee noted that a footnote would be added regarding the City
Deal before this report moved forward. The Planning Policy Manager (SCDC) stated that a request had been made
to the Inspector considering South Cambs Local Plan,
seeking an interim endorsement of the housing position. This request had been
refused as the Inspector wanted to consider the strategic local plan issues in
the round Full details of the
correspondence is available on the website as follows https://www.scambs.gov.uk/localplan. The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:
i.
Councillor Jenkins expressed regrets that little
progress had been made regarding lobbying as suggested at the last meeting.
ii.
Councillor Kindersley stated that Officers had done
their job while Members had failed to engage with the process and show the
required leadership. In response to Members’ questions the Planning Policy Manager (SCDC)
said the following:
iii.
The figures quoted in the report were accurate on
new housing completions to-date. Future figures were predictions. iv.
The increase in completions predicted for the period
2016-2020 were based on expected completions on the Fringe sites and Northstowe. Members requested clarification regarding
the ability of both Cambridge and South Cambs to
fulfil the requirement to have a five year land supply available. The Planning
Policy Manager responded and stated that Memorandum of understanding was in
place. The City Deal also reflects a commitment to start a review of the local
plan in 2019. There was a strong case for the Inspector to accept the plans. Resolved: Members agreed to advise Cambridge City
Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council that
they:
i.
Support the joint housing trajectory for the
Greater Cambridge area as set out in Appendix A. |
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New Government Funding Initiatives - Oral Report Minutes: The Committee received an oral report from the Director of Planning and New Communities regarding the New Government Funding
Initiative. The report outlined a new Government announcement of additional funding to
bring forward development sites. Cambridge and South Cambs
had been awarded £50,000 each. South Cambs, working with the City, had been
accepted as one of eleven local authorities to be accepted for the Right to
Build Vanguards project. Registers of interest would be opening shortly for
those interested in building and for land available for self-build projects. |