Decision pushed back on plans to build 200 new homes on edge of Cambridge

A decision on whether 200 homes can be built on the edge of Cambridge has been pushed back after councillors said they were “extremely concerned” about parts of the plans. Cambridge City Council had been due to make a decision this week (April 24) on the proposals to build a new housing development at Netherhall Farm, off Wort’s Causeway.

However, councillors have asked the developer to look again at its plans to see if their concerns can be addressed. Outline planning permission was formally approved back in 2022 to build up to 200 new homes on the land to the south of the city. The latest proposals from the developer, Cala Homes (North Homes Counties) Limited, set out more details of what the development could look like.

Out of the 200 new homes, 76 are proposed to be flats (a mixture of one and two-bedrooms in size), 22 are proposed to be two-bedroom houses, 51 as three-bedroom houses, 49 four-bedroom houses, and two five-bedroom houses. The developer proposed to make 80 of the homes available as affordable housing with a mix of social and affordable rented homes, and shared ownership properties.

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At the city council planning committee meeting this week, Simon Hoskin, representing the developer, said: “Our scheme has been carefully designed to ensure that it respects the site’s urban edge location and adjacent countryside and to ensure that it conforms to the principles and parameter plans agreed under the outline planning permission.

“Extensive open space has been provided and includes a 30metre wide landscaped area along the site’s eastern edge, which will help to create an appropriate buffer between the development and the green belt. The proposals comprise a mix of one, two, three, four, and five-bedroom dwellings with 40 per cent of these new homes to be affordable in compliance with the council’s policies. These will be a variety of sizes and tenures as agreed with the council.”

Mr Hoskin also explained that the development would be “gas free” with air source heat pumps proposed to be used. The application had been recommended for approval by planning officers, but councillors said they had a number of concerns about the plans. Councillor Katie Porrer said the outline approval for the development ‘tied their hands’ on some issues.

She said she was concerned that it was a “car heavy development”, which she said “goes against everything we are trying to achieve”. Councillor Katie Thornburrow said: “This site does not encourage active travel, as you have to go on Wort’s Causeway, I as a parent would not want my children doing that.

“Because of the access, this is a site for cars, there will mainly be people using cars here, people cannot cycle to local shops easily, cycle to schools easily, cycle to medical facilities easily, all will be using cars. Because of that I do not think the focus on cars is good enough, there is not adequate delivery space and I think the lack of visitor parking is a problem as well.”

Councillor Sam Carling said he was “extremely concerned” about the lack of visitor parking proposed in the development. He said: “My understanding is there is meant to be one space required for every four units, that would be 50 spaces and we have got eight, that is quite a dramatic violation of policy. 50 spaces would be excessive but we need more than eight, otherwise we will get parking everywhere.”

Councillors also raised concerns about a number of the homes proposed to be single aspect, where only one side of the property has windows facing the outside. Councillor Martin Smart said it was “unfortunate” that 15 per cent of the homes were due to be single aspect.

Councillors also shared concerns that many of the single aspect homes were planned to be those made available as affordable housing. Cllr Thornburrow said it was “unacceptable” that the “poorest in society” would have to deal with living in the single aspect homes.

Officers recognised the concerns councillors had, but highlighted the city council did not have a specific policy regarding single aspect homes in its local plan. The committee councillors decided to defer making a decision on the application in light of their concerns in order to ask the developer to look again at the proposals. The application is expected to be presented again to councillors for them to make a decision at a later date.

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