Support

Representation ID: 8978

Received: 01/10/2021

Respondent: South Cambridgeshire District Council

We note that three of the four emerging preferred Bedford Borough Local Plan strategy options include a new settlement (linked to the proposed East West Rail station at a location between St Neots and Tempsford) at either Wyboston and/or Little Barford (2b,c,d), on the basis that these perform well in sustainability terms, including taking into account transport evidence findings. Beyond this, we note that the detailed sustainability performance and deliverability of a new settlement at Wyboston and/or Little Barford is fundamentally dependent on the preferred East West Rail route alignment option, which has yet to be confirmed.
In this context, we would highlight that we will be consulting on our First Proposals Greater Cambridge Local Plan in autumn 2021. The draft papers for this consultation have been published and are now going through committee processes. The committee stage version of the First Proposals Plan includes Policy S/CB: Cambourne, identifying an expanded Cambourne as a broad location for future growth in the 2030’s to respond to the opportunity that will be provided by the proposed East West Rail that includes a station at Cambourne. We have yet to determine scale or specific location of growth for the Cambourne area, but our overall aim is to provide sufficient critical mass to perform the following role as a:
• Well-connected place through high quality public transport, cycling and walking facilities
• South Cambridgeshire town for the 21st century
• growing employment centre to provide local opportunities for its residents and nearby communities
• place that meets the day to day needs of its residents.”
Further to our own plans for development connecting with East West Rail, we note that the recently adopted Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015-35 includes Policy SP1a: Partial Review of the Local Plan, which identifies the need to review the plan within the next six months “in order to investigate, as part of the wider statutory plan-making processes and identify where necessary, opportunities for future growth that can capitalise on any appropriate commitments to improve existing, or provide new, strategic infrastructure”.
Given the above context of potential significant growth at these possible growth locations along the proposed East West Rail route between Bedford and Cambridge, which are also close to existing substantial settlements including St Neots in particular, we consider that there is potential for there to be strategic cross-boundary matters of substance between Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and South Cambridgeshire (and Cambridge), as well as with Huntingdonshire, particularly in relation to economic roles, and transport impacts and opportunities of these existing and potential new settlements. Should Bedford Borough take forward strategy options including a new settlement at Wyboston and or Little Barford via the Local Plan we would suggest that there may be benefit in engaging with us and the other relevant partners on these topics to support alignment of approaches.