Bourn Airfield and Cambourne Community Forum
Bourn Airfield and Cambourne Community Forum is one of many forums run by us across the major development sites. The forum gives the opportunity for residents, developers, and public sector bodies to discuss the development at Bourn Airfield and West Cambourne.
The forum usually starts with an hour-long drop-in session where the public get to meet the developers and Council planners, so they get an understanding of what the new areas may look and feel like. Following this, there's a more formal meeting. Time is set aside at the end for any questions that may arise. Forums run from 6pm to 8pm. We send out the agenda with timings about a week beforehand, so you can pick a time to come along.
Please email any agenda items you want to discuss to south.west@scambs.gov.uk
All forum posts, presentations and other resources are shared on this webpage.
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Areas covered in this form
This forum follows on from the A428 Development Cluster - Bourn Airfield and A428 Development Cluster - Cambourne.
The main areas covered by this forum are West Cambourne and Bourn Airfield.
Only larger new developments in Cambourne, including West Cambourne, will be discussed in this forum. It will not consider existing homes, community facilities and green space currently managed by Cambourne Town Council.
Cambourne West overview
West Cambourne got planning permission in December 2017.
The plans include 2,350 new homes with areas for businesses, retail, community facilities, and sports facilities. There will be 2 new primary schools and the expansion of Cambourne Village College.
West Cambourne was added to the original masterplan for Cambourne in 1996 (updated in 2011) which set out a vision of 3 interlinked villages (Lower, Great and Upper Cambourne). West Cambourne is the fourth westernmost village.
The plan includes three vehicle access points that involves:
- an extension and modification of Sheepfold Lane
- a four-arm roundabout on the A1198/Caxton Bypass
- an access point off the A1198 south of Caxton Gibbet (for the 2nd phase of land for businesses only)
Bourn Airfield overview
Outline planning permission has been sought for a new village, Bourn Airfield.
It includes 3,500 homes, shops, jobs, a hotel, schools, and other community facilities. The 210-hectare site will be south of the A428, west of Cambridge (about 11km), between Cambourne and Caldecote.
Next meeting date: Wednesday 26 June
Time: to be confirmed
Format: to be confirmed
Latest meeting notes are below:
March 2024 - Written Update
Bourn Airfield
The Outline planning application for Bourn Airfield remains under consideration by the Local Planning Authority. The single issue forming the basis for that status is the Environment Agency’s current position on water supply across Greater Cambridge and their objection to a number of large applications.
Following the establishment by the Government of the Cambridge Delivery Group and through that group, a “Water Scarcity Group” comprising representatives from a number of government departments, the Environment Agency, Water Companies, the water Regulator, County Council and the Local Planning Authority, a series of initiatives are being developed by the Government to accompany work that has been undertaken on a further revision to Cambridge Waters Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP), which seek to respond positively to the objection from the Environment Agency and unlock the current Bourn planning application.
The latest WRMP was published this week (4 March 2024) and is being reviewed by the EA and the Local Planning Authority. The LPA is also continuing to engage with the Environment Agency on its concerns and will keep under review the pause to the current applications determination.
Cambourne West
Development in Cambourne continues, with parcel 2.1 (Vistry) proposals for 118 homes underway and parcel 1.5 (Taylor Wimpey) development of 41 homes also ongoing. People are now moving into their new homes on parcels 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4. The application for the noise bund, alongside the A428 is also with the Council for consideration and determination. Applications for the Habitat ponds 24 and 25 (located in the field south of Lower Cambourne) which are part of a legal obligation with Natural England to create two habitat ponds for Great Crested Newts (and other species).
Elsewhere on Cambourne Business Park, the SCDC Planning Committee recently resolved to approve the full planning application for 256 new homes on the south side of the Cambourne Business Park access road, and for the conversion of the former marketing suite building to a café. The S106 for that application is being completed currently with a decision to be issued shortly.
Local Plan Update
On 12 March 2024, SCDC Cabinet will be considering a report on the Greater Cambridge Joint Local Plan. The continued unresolved position on water supply, together with the ongoing review of transport impacts following the pause to the GCP Making Connections programme and certainty around E-W Rail, and the timeline for the determination of the Development Consent Order application to relocate the Water Treatment works from the North East Cambridge site are identified as significant factors impacting the timetable for completion of the Plan. The report also highlights those changes to the Locla Plan process- brought in by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 - and transitional arrangements add further uncertainty to the process.
Cambridge 2040
The Government Cambridge 2040 ambitions emerged in July 2023 and include significantly greater growth ambitions than set out in the Joint Local Plan. Following the appointment of peter Freeman (Chair of Homes England) to lead the “Cambridge Delivery Group” a number of studies have been commissioned by the government to explore growth issues in the area.
The Conclusions of that work have not (at the time of drafting this update) been shared with the Councils. The Government has also indicated an intention to set up a development corporation to deliver those ambitions – but details of the extent and form that any such delivery body might take have not yet been shared or published.
Initially, the Cambridge Delivery Group indicated that it would be sharing ideas with partners including the Council in the Spring. Once the relationship between the governments and SCDC plans become clearer, we would anticipate further briefings being provided to local communities – by both the government and the Council.
EWR update
The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (GCSP) service is seeking to understand the details likely to be subject of the planned first stage of a two-stage statutory consultation in relation to the East West Rail (EWR) project. The initial consultation stage is due to commence in the first half of 2024 and is expected to include updated information on design areas in greater detail compared with previous consultation events.
Prior to the first stage of the statutory consultation, EWR will be engaging with GCSP and other host local authorities on the content of a draft Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC), which sets out how EWR proposes to consult with local communities and aims to ensure that consultation methods meet the needs of communities along the route. The feedback received from this initial consultation stage will inform EWR in finalising a single proposal for the entire route, which will be presented in the second stage of the statutory consultation, prior to the submission of a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.