Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision: Response to West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation

Why the Decision had to be made (and any alternative options):

Decision: To agree the proposed response to West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation.

Rejected Option: To not agree the proposed response to West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation.

Reason for Rejection: the consultation offers the opportunity for the Council to make comments on a neighbouring local authority’s Local Plan to ensure the Council’s interests are appropriately represented. The Council is also a statutory consultee and Duty to Cooperate body in the plan making process.

The Executive Councillor’s decision: Agreed the joint response to West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation.

Reason for the decision: As detailed in Appendix 1 below.

Scrutiny Consideration: The Chair and Opposition Spokes of the Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report: Please see Appendix 1 below.

Conflict of interest: None

Comments: No comments were made. 

Appendix 1

Background

The Submission Draft is the final stage in the preparation of this plan. West Suffolk previously consulted on Issues and Options in October to December 2020 and Preferred Options in May to July 2022, to which joint responses were made by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. Responses to this final submission draft will be sent alongside the Local Plan and supporting evidence to be examined by an independent inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.

The Local Plan contains planning policies and allocations for the growth of West Suffolk over the plan period of 2023 to 2040. It contains the council’s spatial and land use vision, objectives and spatial strategy which identifies where development will take place and how places within the district will evolve and be shaped. Policies in the plan set out how West Suffolk aims to deliver housing, employment, retail, community, cultural and leisure activities and protect and enhance the environment. There is a focus on meeting the needs of communities through the delivery of affordable homes, the climate emergency, health and well-being, green infrastructure and protection of the environment.

Main Issues relevant to Greater Cambridge

Content in the West Suffolk Local Plan Submission Draft relevant to Greater Cambridge includes: 

• Meeting their objectively assessed development needs in full – the identified need is for 13,702 homes (net) in the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2040, and 15,486 homes (net) have been planned for.
• Provision for 86 hectares of employment land. 
• Growth is directed to the most sustainable settlements which have the existing infrastructure and/or capacity to expand infrastructure and reduce the necessity of car use wherever possible.
• No new housing allocations proposed close to the South Cambridgeshire boundary.
• The plan recognises the issue of water stress in the district and wider area and the impact this is having on chalk streams, and proposes measures which seek high standards of water efficiency for new residential and non-residential development.
• The plan seeks to address the climate emergency by requiring development to demonstrate it has taken into account the climate and environment emergency through good design and inclusion of measures to build in resilience and adapt to or mitigate the impact of climate change.
• The plan seeks to improve the provision of green infrastructure and supports opportunities to extend coverage and connectivity through cross boundary provision.

Proposed main response points

The proposed response, set out in Appendix 1, focuses on matters which could impact on Greater Cambridge and include water stress and the impact this is having on chalk streams, sustainable development and addressing the impacts of climate change, the opportunities for delivering cross boundary green infrastructure, strategic employment, and Duty to Cooperate. 

Appendices

Appendix A: West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft – proposed joint consultation response. See link below:

Appendix A: Response to West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation

Background Papers

West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft consultation documents:

West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft January 2024 - West Suffolk Planning Policy Consultations (inconsult.uk)

West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft evidence documents:

West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 19) Submission Draft 2024 - background evidence documents - West Suffolk Planning Policy Consultations (inconsult.uk)