1. Waterbeach Parish Council
Presentation for Community Forum
9th January 2019

2. Overwhelmingly the representations made to the SPD consultation are Objections
Representations C-G
OBJECT Cambridge Cycling Campaign ()
COMMENT Cambridge Past Present and Future (Planning CambridgePPF)
1 SUPPORT out of 9 representations
OBJECT Cambridge Without Incineration (CBWIN) (CBWIN Campaign)
COMMENT Cambridgeshire County Council ()
3 SUPPORT out of 8 representations
COMMENT Cambridgeshrie County Council ()
1 SUPPORT out of 6 representations
SUPPORT Cambridgeshire Police ()
OBJECT Carbon Neutral Cambridge ()
COMMENT 
OBJECT Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Urban & Civic represented by David Lock Associates ()
2 COMMENT out of 10 representations
OBJECT 
COMMENT Environment Agency ()
OBJECT
COMMENT
Representations A-C
COMMENT Anglian Water
OBJECT
COMMENT 
OBJECT 
OBJECT Cambridge Area Bus Users ()
OBJECT Cambridge Carbon Footprint ()
Representations G-N 
OBJECT 
COMMENT 
COMMENT Historic England
COMMENT Horningsea Parish Council
COMMENT  
COMMENT
OBJECT
COMMENT National Grid
Representations N-T
COMMENT Natural England
OBJECT 
COMMENT 
OBJECT RLW Estates
2 SUPPORT out of 27 representations
SUPPORT Sport England
2 representations considered SUPPORT
OBJECT Swavesey & District Bridleways Association)

3. Overwhelmingly the representations made to the SPD consultation are Objections
However the classification of representations does not appear to be consistent; for example
COMMENT Cambridgeshire County Council ()
In these comments there are phrases such as “. We therefore object to the SPD as it currently stands…… and The County Council's Asset Information Definitive Map Team therefore objects to the SPD for the reasons cited above
COMMENT 
I would strongly object if it is planned that construction traffic for the new Waterbeach Airfield development would access the site via the residential part of Denny End Road.
“Object to relocating the railway station - the new town should have its own in addition”
Representations T-W
OBJECT The Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
OBJECT The National Trust Representations include OBJECT , COMMENT and SUPPIORT
COMMENT The Wildlife Trust ()
OBJECT 
OBJECT Waterbeach and District Bridleways Group ()
OBJECT Waterbeach Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee
OBJECT Waterbeach Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (WNPSG
Representations W-Y
OBJECT Waterbeach Parish Council
OBJECT 
Thank you to everyone who made representations on the draft SPD, Waterbeach Parish Council wants to ensure your views are adequately considered and appropriate changes made to the SPD, and that you are informed of the outcome

4. SCDC’s consultation portal for the SPD is inadequate
It allows the public to search the representations (alphabetically by submitter)…if they can find it, many have had to ask for a url
But the scanned representations cannot be accessed, returning the following message
403 - Forbidden: Access is denied.
You do not have permission to view this directory or page using the credentials that you supplied.
Supporting documents cannot be accessed, returning the following message
It is therefore not possible to judge the way representation text has been selected from original representations, in many cases the detailed arguments provided are not made available, so one must wonder if they are being considered adequately.

5. Waterbeach Parish Council Comments on the SPD
Waterbeach Parish Council submitted a document outlining their objections to the SPD version issued for consultation in September
Since the closure date for comments was not extended for the Parish Council they could not adequately reflect the considerable concerns of their parishioners, some of which were only posted near the deadline and not available for review on the consultation portal until after the deadline
Many people who submitted representations struggled to find the posted representations and relied on Parish Councillors to provide a url
Waterbeach Parish Council have made a formal complaint about the handling of the SPD consultation and the unacceptable timeline…with a consultations starting before formal approval of the Local Plan by SCDC and before a version of the Local Plan incorporating all the changes to meet the Inspector’s comments had been released, and with the SPD version for comment not including changes requested by SCDC committees such as the scrutiny committee

6. Concerns raised about the SPD - 1
Density of development and consequent heights of development
The Local Plan SS/6 wording provides for approximately homes but the SPD enables up to 11000
Densities are high for a rural area and building heights in some locations are proposed to be up to 6 storeys.
High density buildings adjacent to the proposed railway station are not in keeping with the fenland landscape on the eastern side of the railway line.
The lowest density adjacent to Denny Abbey should also be reflected and matched where the new town joins Waterbeach.
Layout and relationship to Waterbeach village
There is concern about the relationship of this major development to the existing village, it does not reflect SS6 policies i.e with some separation to be provided to protect the character and identity of the village
Access and transport
The proposed relocated railway station and park and ride facilities are included in the framework
There is no clear time scale for links to the A10 to be provided, this should be in place before the new railway station is built and used, or for improvements to the A10
Social and infrastructure provision
A development of this scale requires considerable provision of engineered and social infrastructure both before and alongside the development itself; there are too little firm trigger points and transitional provision is not clear.
SCDC must make some provision for S106 monies to be made available to it to cover costs of residents of the new town using the existing facilities of the Parish prior to their own being in place.
No reference in the SPD to provision for the emergency services.

7. Concerns raised about the SPD - 2
Incompatibility of timing between potential development and a future upgrade the A10 (where there is still no real available on scheme design, funding or timing)
Siting of primary school and special needs school are too near to the A10
Focus on public transport routes serving the new town should not be allowed to lead to the removal of services to the existing village and there should be a connection from the village to a Park and Ride service
Negative impact of the Waste Management Park, where the track record of the operator is poor, will adversely impact on the new town; air quality issues from the Amey site must be monitored and conditions adhered to
All public spaces should be exempt from being partially used as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs) or having tanks beneath
SUDs must be safe, and if adjacent to paths where people are walking and cycling, there must be a restriction on their depth
SPD should specify that treatment plants should not be placed within 1,000 meters of recreational facilities such as the River Cam or parks etc
Buildings should meet BREEAM certification standards as this is a good measure of the sustainability of a development.
Waterbeach is located within an area of serious water stress which raises the following questions:
Why is there no reference to a new water main
What guarantees are there to enable a constant water supply for the new town and Waterbeach village?
How will Wicken Fen and the Cam Washes be safeguarded?
Finally there is no evidence of collaborative working of the landowners, council and key stakeholders. The Local Plan Inspector referenced the importance of how the plan is monitored, managed, and reviewed and these issues need to be in place at the outset and clearly stated in the SPD.

8. Final approved text of the SPD
When will this be circulated to responders to the consultation?
How will they know whether their comments have been adequately addressed unless there is an accompanying full disposition of comments document showing how each comment and objection has been addressed in the revised SPD?
Why is it still impossible to access scanned representations and supporting documents?
How can SCDC councillors make a decision on the SPD if they, like their electorate, cannot see key comments and representations?
If SCDC councillors have privileged access to documents why have such documents not been released on the consultation portal?

9. Waterbeach Parish Council Comments on the U & C planning application
Waterbeach Parish Council reiterates its original comments relating to this proposal. Having studied the most recently amended of the 471 documents relating to this proposal the Parish Council does not believe the recent amendments address the substantive issues raised in our previous objection i.e.
Principle of application
Principle of development
Landscape impact
Height of buildings
Design and layout of southern part in respect to links with and relationship to the existing village
Proposed phasing of development
Need for more open space and amenity areas
Proximity to nearby waste management site
Transportation strategy
Specific transport issues raised in point 4.3
Relationship with adjoining developer
Participation by the PC in the S106 agreement
Proportion of affordable housing
Therefore the Parish Council maintains its recommendation of REFUSAL of this application.

10. Waterbeach Parish Council Comments on the U & C planning application
Waterbeach Parish Council noted the significant number of representations to the recent SPD consultation objecting to parts of the SPD.
It is clear that significant changes need to be made to the SPD to reflect the consultation responses and it is inappropriate for a major planning application to be determined until a final amended version of the SPD has been circulated for a further consultation. The original rushed timeline for approval of the SPD in mid-December did not allow respondents to ensure their comments have been appropriately handled.
Thus Waterbeach Parish Council objected most strongly to any final consideration / determination of S/0559/17/OL being undertaken until there is a final approved text of a SPD against which to properly assess the application.

11. We are doing our best… Waterbeach Parish Council has had to respond to many major consultations and planning applications in 2018 including the proposed SPD and
Relocation of the Railway Station S/0791/18/FL
Relocated railway station comprising platforms, pedestrian bridges, access road, pedestrian and cycle routes, car and cycle parking, with other associated facilities and infrastructure
171 documents to consider
A decision has not yet been made on this application
U and C planning application S/0559/17/OL
Outline Planning Application for up to 6,500 dwellings (including up to 600 residential institutional units), business, retail, community, leisure and sports uses; a hotel; new primary and secondary schools; green open spaces including parks, ecological areas and woodlands; principal new accesses from the A10 and other points of access; associated infrastructure, groundworks and demolition; with all matters reserved except for the first primary junction from the A10.
To be determined by 30 April 2019
475 documents to consider
RLW application S/2075/18/OL
Outline planning permission (with all matters reserved) for development of up to 4,500 dwellings, business, retail, community, leisure and sports uses; new primary and secondary schools and sixth form centre; public open spaces including parks and ecological areas; points of access, associated drainage and other infrastructure, groundworks, landscaping, and highways works.
Originally scheduled for determination by 31 October 2018
191 documents to consider
There is a Parish Council planning meeting every month but the amount of information to process is enormous and despite some meetings with SCDC it is clear that much more coordination with the Parish Council is needed and that SCDC need to engage significantly more with the Parish Council in respect of the SPD and the S106 agreements for the potential Waterbeach New Town.