Cambridgeshire is a key strategic area for the UK. With a thriving University, an economy which is outperforming the wider UK marketplace and devolved powers enabling the region to acquire more funds and investment into the region it’s clear why it’s an attractive region to live, work and visit.

The proposed infrastructure set for the Oxford – Milton Keynes – Cambridge corridor will only accelerate the economic growth opportunities within the region, but that also leads to many challenges as well as opportunities which all need to be tackled and maximised. To do that the public and private sector will need to work in harmony to ensure the phenomenal ‘once in a generation’ growth will have positive impacts for communities within the region – and that collaborative approach will be at the forefront of the Cambridgeshire Development Plans Event on the 6th March.
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One of those involved in the conference will be Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council. Ahead of the event we hear exclusively from Bridget on the challenges, opportunities and the future vision for the region:

 

South Cambridgeshire is consistently recognised as one of the top places to live and work in the country due to your thriving economy and quality of life. How are you managing to strike the right balance between growth and conservation in such a unique area? [emaillocker id=”71749″]

South Cambridgeshire is a fantastic place to live, work and learn. The thriving local economy and jobs being created here means we have a big challenge that most areas up and down the country would be envious of. However, it is a challenge we must address as it is vital to ensuring our communities continue to enjoy an excellent quality of life. One of the biggest issues for us is the cost of housing and delivering housing that is affordable to live in is one of our top priorities. This is not just the costs of buying or renting a home, which is very high here, but also include the costs of all your bills, so you have enough money left to have fun. We also know that where you live has a big impact on your health and wellbeing. Although the growth in the area means we need to deliver new homes, we don’t want to provide housing estates. Instead we need to build real communities and are currently working with the NHS at Northstowe on how the town, and other developments, can be designed to help people live well for longer. It’s not difficult to embed natural capital into planning. It just needs to be done well. We plan to do this by setting ambitious design standards for energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, sustainable travel, biodiversity and air quality.

 

You’ve recently adopted a new South Cambridgeshire Local Plan – tell us a little more about what the primary objectives and outcomes of the Local Plan are?

The Liberal Democrat administration took control of the Council in May as people voted for change. The Local Plan was well advanced at that stage and we had a choice of starting again and subjecting our villages to years of potentially damaging and unplanned planning application or agreeing the plan and working our hardest to deliver it in the best way we can. The agreed plan will protect the green belt around Cambridge and focus the bulk of new homes at a new town north of Waterbeach, a new village at Bourn Airfield and to continue to deliver on plans at existing growth sites, such as Northstowe. Our primary objective now is to ensure that our existing communities, especially those living nearest to areas of growth, are at the heart of developing plans. Their views are really important to us and we need to make sure that their voice is heard. One of our other big priorities in the climate and environment and we have a fantastic opportunity to ensure that development of any kind has a positive legacy.

 

A new town (this is north of) Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield are just two of the huge schemes set to drive the delivery of new homes across the region. How are you approaching these major new community developments to ensure they deliver the necessary schools, health facilities and more, alongside social mobility

Rural areas such as Cambridgeshire are historically under funded by Government when compared to cities. In fact, a recent cross-party Government report shows places like Cambridgeshire receive around £300 per person less funding each year for vital services when compared to London. This means we have to work even harder to make sure every penny available from a new town, such as Northstowe, delivers on the priorities for local people. There is no doubt this often means there is a delicate balancing act for us to work with developers on, but I am really pleased that we are learning the lessons of the past and making sure the heart of communities, such as hubs where people can meet and socialise as well as schools, are delivered as early as possible. Let’s not forget that years of work takes place with service providers, such as the NHS, to make sure we are planning for their needs, and the new communities they will serve, from the very beginning.

 

To match the required need for housing within Cambridgeshire and the wider regions there is the need to accelerate the delivery of building. What role does Council Housing play in delivering much needed homes? 

We are looking at all the recommendations of the Letwin report to speed up the delivery of housing for our communities. We shouldn’t underestimate the role that Council housing has as we already have plans to double the number of houses we are currently building each year. In our area you can be on a higher than average salary and still have little chance of getting on the housing ladder or afford to pay a private rent. Until now we have been working with our hands tied by Government on building more Council homes as we have not been able to borrow money to deliver them. We are pleased the Government has listened and recently announced that they will remove the borrowing cap that was in place.

 

With the amount of development you have planned across the region there is obviously a lot of opportunity for investors, developers and others within the built environment to work alongside you. How do companies interested in working alongside South Cambridgeshire Council get involved and what values and ethics must those companies have?

We want to put the heart into South Cambridgeshire and will welcome with open arms anyone who shares this vision. Since taking control of the Council in May we have been meeting with lots of developers and exploring opportunities on how we can support the right type of development in the right places. We believe all developers can play an important role in this. We are particularly looking for opportunities to work with small and medium sized house builders to make their contribution more significant in South Cambridgeshire.

 

The Cambridgeshire Development Plans Event is set to bring together senior business professionals from both the public and private sector to discuss the key topics to maximise opportunities to grow the regional economy. Why is the event such an important date in the calendar?

Delivering successful growth cannot be done by anyone in isolation. We are a new administration and we will be doing things differently and welcome the opportunity to share our vision on how we see the future with developers. Everyone needs to work together for the good of people living in the area now and in the future.

 

To attend the event which will bring together senior public and private sector leaders to discuss the ongoing and future development and regeneration plans within Cambridgeshire click here.
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