Submission of Local Plan (28 March 2014)

On 27 September 2018, the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan was adopted and the Adopted Policies Map was agreed for publication.

Background

The South Cambridgeshire Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 28 March 2014 for examination, alongside the Cambridge Local Plan. The examinations commenced on 4 November 2014.

The Planning Inspectors wrote to the Councils in May 2015 raising some initial queries relating to objectively assessed need for new housing, the development strategy and conformity with national planning policy, and inviting the Councils to undertake additional work to address those issues before the examinations progress further.

The Councils carried out additional work to address the issues raised by the Inspectors, and identified a small number of modifications that need to be made to the Local Plans. The Councils sought views on the proposed modifications through public consultation undertaken between 2 December 2015 and 25 January 2016.

The Councils have considered the results of the public consultation and on 31 March 2016 the Councils submitted the consultation responses, evidence base documents and associated proposed modifications to the Inspectors for consideration.

Since March 2016, additional issues arose during the examination and changes in circumstances occurred that required further proposed modifications to be made to the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan.

On 30 November 2016, the Council submitted to the Inspectors a letter and further proposed modifications. At this stage in the examination process, modifications could only be put forward as recommendations to the Inspectors for their consideration. If the Inspectors considered that such modifications were necessary to make the plan sound, they would be published for consultation at a later stage in the examination process.

Public consultation on Main Modifications to the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan and Cambridge Local Plan (and associated Sustainability Appraisal of the Main Modifications) ended at 5pm on Friday 16 February 2018.

Representations received were published:

• Cambridge Local Plan
• South Cambridgeshire Local Plan

The Statement of Consultation provides a summary of the representation received.

What is the Local Plan?

The Local Plan is a set of policies and land allocations that will guide the future of our district up to 2031. The timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan is set out in the Local Development Scheme.

Once adopted, all planning applications will be assessed against the policies in the Local Plan. Also on adoption of the Local Plan, the Core Strategy, Development Control Policies Development Plan Document (DPD), Site Specific Policies DPD and 'saved' Policy CNF6 from the Local Plan 2004 will be revoked in their entirety and will no longer form part of the development plan.

Submission of the Local Plan

On 28 March 2014, the Local Plan and its supporting documents were submitted for independent examination to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government via the Planning Inspectorate.

The Secretary of State appointed Laura Graham BSC MA MRTPI as the Inspector from the Planning Inspectorate to carry out an independent examination of the Local Plan. Her task was to establish whether the Local Plan is ‘sound’, taking into consideration representations made during public consultation on the Proposed Submission Local Plan between July and October 2013. The Inspector was assisted by an Assistant Inspector, Alan Wood MSC FRICS, and a Planning Officer, Laura O’Brien. Further information is available on the examination webpage and Local Plan News webpage.

Submission Documents

The Proposed Submission Local Plan: 

• Proposed Submission Local Plan (July 2013) - this is the complete document and is 6.5MB
• Front Cover and Contents
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Spatial Strategy
• Chapter 3: Strategic Sites
• Chapter 4: Climate Change
• Chapter 5: Delivering High Quality Places
• Chapter 6: Protecting and Enhancing the Natural and Historic Environment
• Chapter 7: Delivering High Quality Homes
• Chapter 8: Building a Strong and Competitive Economy
• Chapter 9: Promoting Successful Communities
• Chapter 10: Promoting and Delivering Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure
• Appendices A-C: Supporting Studies and Evidence Base List, Superseded Documents and Policies, and Glossary

Proposed Submission Policies Map (July 2013)[RD/Sub/SC/020]

Schedule of Proposed Major Modifications [RD/Sub/SC/030]

Schedule of Proposed Minor Changes [RD/Sub/SC/040]

Proposed Submission Local Plan ‘with illustrated changes’ [RD/Sub/SC/050]

Other representations included:

• Representations to Proposed Submission Local Plan and Draft Final Sustainability Appraisal [RD/Sub/SC/100]
• Results of Consultation on the Proposed Submission Local Plan – Summary of Representations and Key Issues [RD/Sub/SC/110]
• Draft Final Sustainability Appraisal [RD/Sub/SC/060]
• Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report [RD/Sub/SC/060]
• Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report [RD/Sub/SC/070]
• Statement of Consultation [RD/Sub/SC/090]
• Statement of Compliance with the Duty to Co-operate [RD/Sub/SC/080]
• Notice of Submission [RD/Sub/SC/120]
• South Cambridgeshire Local Plan Legal Compliance Checklist [RD/Sub/SC/150]
• South Cambridgeshire Local Plan Self Assessment of Soundness [RD/Sub/SC/160]
• Local Development Scheme
• Statement of Community Involvement [RD/Sub/SC/140]

The Local Plan is supported by a number of evidence base and supporting studies - this page lists all the evidence base and supporting studies included in Appendix A of the Proposed Submission Local Plan (July 2013) and those listed as amendments in the Schedule of Proposed Minor Changes (March 2014).

Earlier Stages in Preparation of the Local Plan

Evidence gathering and preparation of the Local Plan began in 2011. Three rounds of public consultation on issues and options were undertaken:

• Issues and Options (July - September 2012)
• Issues and Options 2 (January - February 2013)
• Consultation on Potential Football Stadium at Sawston (March - May 2013)

All of the comments were considered during the drafting the Proposed Submission Local Plan.