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'A brownfield site' and other misrepresentations...

9/3/2018

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Despite the established fact that Bourn Airfield is designated as being 86% agricultural land and therefore a greenfield site, developers and planners continue to portray it as brownfield and therefore suitable for development. This morning's (9/3/18) Dotty McLeod Breakfast Show* on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire included discussions with our District Councillor Des O'Brien and a spokesman for the developer, Countryside Properties.

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Misrepresentation #1 - It's a brownfield site

Andrew Taylor, Countryside Properties' Director and Head of Planning, said "Bourn Airfield is a large brownfield site... it is more appropriate to use those sort of sites for the housing we desperately need rather than build on true green fields, agricultural fields that are around the area". So good to know that Countryside Properties don't consider that building on such sites is appropriate - we just need them to recognise that this exactly what Bourn Airfield is. (The government, according to its own criteria, recognises that Bourn Airfield is not a brownfield site - see here).  In fairness to Countryside Properties they didn't choose the site but they certainly are capitalising on its inclusion in the Local Plan to further their commercial interests.

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​Misrepresentation #2 - It's only 6 miles to Cambridge centre

This kind of disingenuous communication was heard with reference to the transport and traffic problems that are a major concern.  Mr Taylor brushed these aside by saying that people would get to work via the proposed new busway, despite the fact that fewer than 10% of local residents currently take the bus to work. He also stated that "it's only 6 miles from Cambridge centre" to illustrate the breeze it will be to cycle or walk to work (even assuming your job is in the centre of Cambridge). Bourn Airfield to Cambridge centre is just over 10 miles using the established road network and travelling to the Addenbrooke's site (where most of the new jobs will be) is just over 13 miles. 

Misrepresentation #3 - The need for housing means it HAS to be built on Bourn Airfield

Finally Mr Taylor repeated the usual illogical argument that because we need more housing it must follow that it can only be built on Bourn Airfield. Bourn Airfield is simply the wrong place for a further 3,500 homes. The local area and supporting infrastructure cannot support them and for those shouting 'NIMBY' at opponents it should be remembered that nearly 40% of all new housing built in South Cambridgeshire since 2002 has been built in Bourn ward and has been accepted and welcomed by residents. 

Enough is enough. The site of Bourn Airfield is simply a convenience for South Cambs District Council who have spectacularly failed to act strategically to identify an appropriate site or sites, and has been supported by all other (non-Bourn and Caldecote) district councillors because it relieves them of the hassle in their own areas. There is no principle in operation here at all.

As for the developers, they are in it to make a profit and they have every right to do that. However they do not have the right to cast themselves as social heroes building these badly needed houses as if they were some kind of local crusaders. Mr Taylor said this morning that it is "important to help people get on the housing ladder" - I think we all agree with that. But that housing should be near the jobs and the transport infrastructure and not on Bourn Airfield.

Out of interest I wonder how many of the proposed homes Countryside Properties are planning will be anything like affordable? 

Des O'Brien was unfortunately not given the right of reply to Andrew Taylor's comments. To hear both interviews click here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05yhkwy (from 19:06)

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Countryside Properties' Public Exhibition

28/2/2018

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We note that hot on the heels of the actual public consultation process and before the development at Bourn Airfield has even been approved, Countryside Properties are inviting local people to two public exhibitions*. Their rather smart flyer, which arrived in households in Bourn today, invites us to a public exhibition of their plans for the new village. if this wasn't cynical enough the image adorning the flyer, showing a classic English country village with smart houses and acres of green around them, is dishonest to say the least. Our analysis, as well as that looked at by SCDC, has clearly indicated that the housing density on the space available will have to be extremely tight in order to accommodate the intended 3,500 new homes. It is for this reason the plan has been modified to encroach even closer to Caldecote village - simply to fit them all in. To achieve a development such as this portrays, they would need to be building tower blocks just to fit in the rest of the residents!

We think this is a cynical and dishonest attempt by Countryside Properties to win local support. What do you think?
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* The public exhibitions are taking place in Cambourne and Bourn Airfield - nothing seems to have been planned for Caldecote.
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StopBAD's Response to the Main Modifications Consultation - Comments

16/2/2018

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Modification SC-MM078 - Increasing site size

The additional land added to the site proposed in Modification SCMM078 will further exacerbate the problem of ribbon development along the A428 and mean that villages will lose their character and identity.

For example, the proposal will mean that the new development will end up within 50m of Highfields Caldecote, removing its identity as a separate settlement. In addition, recently the completion of a further 950 homes in Upper Cambourne has brought houses right up to Bourn Broadway. With the recent approval of 2350 houses in West Cambourne it means there will be a contiguous ribbon of
development from Hardwick in the east right up to the Caxton Gibbet roundabout and the A1198 in the west, a distance of 8km. The villages of Highfields Caldecote, Caxton and Bourn will all be subsumed within a Greater Cambourne strip development.

Developers have repeatedly claimed that the individuality and physical separation of existing and new villages will be maintained. This has been shown to be a false. There is no physical separation between Greater, Lower and Upper Cambourne and there will, in future, be no separation between the new proposed settlement, Upper Cambourne and Hardwick. Any assurances that this is not the case are worthless.

The purpose of the Green Belt is to: prevent unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; to safeguard the countryside from encroachment and to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns (villages). These protections should also be applied to those communities south of the A428.

It is also repeating the argument made in 1992, when Bourn Airfield was being considered as the site for Cambourne, that it was unsuitable for a settlement of such size. The Planning Inspector in 1992 submitted a report that stated the “generally small and cramped nature of the site”. He went on to say that, “the Bourn Airfield proposal does lack sufficient room within its boundaries to give adequate separation (from Highfields Caldecote)”. He thought the proposal for only 3,000 dwellings (the current proposal is for 3,500) “would produce a tight development, which when considered in the context of the existing rural character of the area and its proximity to Highfields would appear cramped and too urban in it form and character for this rural area”. These comments were made when Highfields Caldecote was less than half its present size and before the A428 was widened, reducing the size of the Bourn Airfield site by 10 hectares.

Modification SC-MM084 - Vehicle Access to The Broadway

Modification SCMM084 seeks to allow all vehicles to access the Broadway. Traffic is, as reported by a recent survey of Bourn residents, the top concern. This modification is nothing less than a betrayal to Bourn village and contradicts earlier assurances over many years that this would never happen.

Since the 1992 decision to site Cambourne at Monkfield Farm there has been an understanding that traffic on to The Broadway from any new settlement would seriously and adversely affect Bourn village. The Secretary of State for the Environment in his decision letter of the 5th March 1992 was concerned that the Great Common Farm new settlement proposal did not deal satisfactorily with the
environmental implications of the increase in traffic via the Broadway and Bourn Village.

In 1996, the SCDC Planning Committee accepted this continuing risk to Bourn Village and voted against the provision of a bus access route from Cambourne to the Broadway.

Recently Bourn and Cambourne Parish Councils agreed to allow bus and emergency vehicle ONLY access to the Broadway on the strict understanding that this would NEVER change to full vehicle access. It now transpires that while SCDC were helping to facilitate this deal between Bourn and Cambourne Parish Councils - and were making assurances about no private motor vehicle access to the Broadway - they were, at the same time, negotiating on full vehicle access for northbound traffic on to the Broadway with the Bourn Airfield developers.

The ban on cars on to the Broadway must be enforced. It is the only way to protect the rural nature of The Broadway and to maintain, at least to some extent, the quality of life of the villages of Bourn and Knapwell in the face of these potentially enormous local changes.

Traffic numbers for the Broadway and the village of Bourn have increased. At peak travel times it is already seen as expeditious for vehicles from Cambourne to route through Bourn village to avoid slow traffic on routes into Cambridge or to the M11/A14 Highways.

In addition:
  • A traffic survey of cars travelling through southbound through Bourn village undertaken between 0700-0900 on Monday 6th Feb 2017 counted 353 vehicles. This is already a very high number.
  • The entrance to High Street, Bourn, is on a hill and is very narrow. A bus or lorry fills both lanes on this section of the road. Opposite traffic must reverse out of this section until the bus/lorry is clear.
  • Increases in traffic using the Broadway and Alms Hill into Bourn High Street decreases pedestrian safety at peak travel times. No safe crossing place for children or the elderly is available in Bourn village.

The modification specifies limiting access to the proposed Bourn Airfield Development to northbound traffic only. It is not possible to enforce this restriction. Cars given access to the Broadway will simply turn round and take the route that is the fastest and most convenient for the driver. Current experience suggests that many will choose to drive through Bourn to access the southbound M11 at Junction 12 to travel to the Biomedical Campus, and the other science parks and businesses south of Cambridge.

Finally, what should Bourn residents make of any assurances from SCDC or developers that northern access to the Broadway will be enforceable or will not change in future? Any such promises will simply be treated as further cynical attempts to get these plans approved.

Modification SC-MM091 - Bring forward the start date

There is no justification to a modification that seeks to bring forward the development of Bourn Airfield to earlier in the Plan period. West Cambourne and other sites have received approval and much uncertainty is present regarding the provision of sustainable transport options.

South Cambridgeshire District Council have granted planning permission for over 4,300 dwellings since the Waterbeach Appeal in 2014. 3,100 of these planning consents are on '5 year housing land supply sites' that are NOT in the Submission Draft South Cambridgeshire Local Plan. Why does the Bourn Airfield Development need to come forward early in the Plan period when SCDC have had a
windfall of 3,100 unplanned dwellings?

Plans for the Cambourne to Cambridge busway have stalled in the face of significant local opposition. In addition, the Combined Authority's review of transport options has yet to report. No conclusions have been reached on the form of the public transport that will eventually be delivered in the A428 corridor.

No solution has been proposed for the Girton Interchange to provide access to the M11 southbound for A428 traffic. Currently plans for the A14 upgrade include a new junction layout that will reduce eastbound traffic on the A428 to one lane at Girton.

No consensus has been reached regarding the most appropriate site for a park and ride on, or near, the A428.

As The National Infrastructure Commission's Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford Future Planning Options Project concedes, 'One key lesson to learn from Cambourne... is the need for high quality public transport options to be available from the very beginning.' (NIC Final Report, page 79). 

In short, there are too many unknowns regarding transport provision in the area. No houses should be built on Bourn Airfield until a public transport system for Cambourne to Cambridge and environs has been delivered and the Girton interchange is an all-ways junction.

COMMENTS ON CAMBRIDGE AND SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE LOCAL
PLANS: SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL OF MAIN MODIFICATIONS
APPENDIX B

Transport
HPQT
Whilst an improved bus service into Cambridge is welcome, it will do nothing to help with the majority of commuters who will be travelling to the south or north of the city or elsewhere in South Cambridgeshire. This issue is a consequence of Bourn Airfield development being in the wrong place, away from major areas of employment.

Public transport journey time to central Cambridge
Again, a majority of people are not commuting into central Cambridge.

Access – safe access to highway network and will there be available capacity?
The local plan now proposes access to all traffic to the Broadway. It suggests that this can be “northbound” only. This is unenforceable. Traffic access to the Broadway will exacerbate traffic through Bourn village making life intolerable for many residents.

Furthermore, other local traffic infrastructure is not able to absorb more traffic. Madingley Hill is currently gridlocked for much of the day and there will be no all-ways interchange at Girton, restricting access from the A428 to other routes.
A copy of the Comments may be downloaded below:
stopbad-modifications-submission-final.pdf
File Size: 206 kb
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Bourn Airfield development - so many benefits promised but would they be delivered?

13/2/2018

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The consultation on the Main Modifications to the Local Plan closes on Friday 16th.  The Plan is heavily reliant on new settlements and much is promised in the Local Plan documents supporting this development strategy.   Plans for Bourn Airfield include 'shops, services, leisure and other town centre uses of an appropriate scale for a Rural Centre' as well as 'employment development of a quantum type and mix to meet the needs of the new village'. But are these deliverable?
Cambourne 20 years on... failing to deliver on promised benefits
Cambourne is now 20 years old and a quick photographic survey (see above) of this new settlement clearly shows that it has failed to deliver on similar promises. Cambourne Business Park remains largely unlet and the High Street is effectively an expanse of grass. The promises to deliver a town centre and significant employment in Cambourne have not been fulfilled and here we are making the same empty promises for Bourn Airfield and other new settlements. Isn’t it time we all woke up to the empty spin? ​
Don't forget to register your objections to the Main Modifications by Friday 16th February - see here for our easy to use downloads.
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Taking part in the consultation process - what has been your experience?

11/2/2018

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In the last couple of weeks we have received many comments from residents who have found SCDC's consultation process cumbersome and difficult to complete. SCDC's online consultation portal has been found to be clunky to navigate through, complex and very time-consuming. The downloadable form (see here), whilst much simpler, still requires cross-referencing between different online pages and a degree of prior knowledge and information. 

We consider that this process has lacked the requisite accessibility, plain English and opportunity to encourage the engagement which government stipulates such consultation should enable. Even those of us involved in StopBAD for a number of years and with huge amounts of information and documentation behind us, have found this a lengthy and confusing process. We are concerned that many people will switch off either because they lack the time needed or through sheer frustration. 

We'd love to hear about your experience. Have you taken part in the consultation yet or tried to? How did you find it? Please do share your comments below - if the process has proved an obstacle to putting your views forward, we will make this known. 
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South Cambs Local Plan Next Stage

6/1/2018

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As regular readers will know, the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan was submitted for examination in March 2014. The plan sets out how the development needs in the area will be met to the year 2031. The examination process is being carried out by independent planning inspectors to determine whether the Local Plan is sound and has complied with the necessary legal requirements.
 
The plan has now reached the next key stage in the process.  Overturning an earlier decision that the 'Main Modifications' did not need addressing, the Inspectors have now asked that consultation be carried out on the Main Modifications which may be necessary in order for the Local Plan to be judged sound.
 
Two of the most significant modifications regarding the proposed development at Bourn Airfield concern the extension of the building boundary nearer to Highfields Caldecote and allowing northbound-only access onto the Broadway in Bourn.
 
It is important that the Inspectors are made aware of local opinion on these modifications.
 
StopBAD is keen to instigate a further Hearing on these modifications in order that they can be explored appropriately. To achieve this it is important that the Inspectors are clearly aware of the strength of the objections among local people. To make your opinion known, please go to the website -https://www.scambs.gov.uk/mainmods and have your say.
 
This consultation period is running from Friday 5th January to Friday 16th February.
​
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Letter from Grant Shapps, MP

12/12/2017

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We have been made aware of a recent letter from Conservative MP Grant Shapps to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid.

In the letter written on 6th December 2017, he draws attention to the apparent contradiction between the government's stated intention to preserve airfields and their support for housing development on the same sites. Writing as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, Mr Shapps says,

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on General Aviation has dismissed claims from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government that “the current [planning] approach remains appropriate” when considering airfield sites for development.

He goes on to list 15 airfields, including Bourn Airfield, which are threatened with closure for development out of just 96 now remaining in the UK.

To see the full correspondence, click here.
 
​What are your views? We'd love to hear what you think.
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The Greater Cambridge Partnership: Cambourne to Cambridge Consultation 2017/18 - What You Should Know

22/11/2017

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As you may know, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (or 'GCP', previously known as the Greater Cambridge City Deal) is a delivery body (comprising Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, the University of Cambridge and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership) in a city deal with central government to improve infrastructure, employment and housing in the area. The deal will bring around £1 billion of investment into the region over fifteen years. So far, so good and you can see more about the work of the GCP by going to their website - www.greatercambridge.org.uk.

However, it is important to know that those in positions of power are, inevitably, looking to use this funding to further their own political agendas and pet projects. That of course, is fine - that is what we elect politicians for. But what is becoming increasingly apparent is that many of these partnership bodies are promoting infrastructure projects that directly, and often indirectly, support other schemes which the public do not prefer.
 
Between now and January 2018, the GCP is consulting with the public on preferred bus routes from Cambourne to Cambridge. We are aware that many local people are unaware of this consultation process. In particular those of you who oppose the development of Bourn Airfield may like to know that the route favoured by the GCP and most strongly promoted by them in their material - Route C - will be developed over Green Belt land and is likely to cost significantly more (c.£100m) than advertised.

A group of local campaigners has put together a leaflet challenging the information in the official GCP brochure. The Local Liaison Forum (LLF) for thé A428 corridor comprises district and parish councillors from South Cambridgeshire and councillors and residents' groups from Cambridge. Their leaflet draws attention to a series of important errors and omissions on the GCP's consultation brochure. These include:

•  Misleading information on the cost of schemes
•  Vital missing information on Green Belt impact
•  Major errors in the description of the community option, Route B
•  Incorrect information on journey times and reliability
•  Critical omissions in the comparison of Park & Ride sites

Please see the attached leaflet below for further details. Most importantly do look at the GCP's consultation website here and make your views known. We urge you to support Route B.


c2c_addendum_brochure_e-mailable.pdf
File Size: 454 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Fake news?! Councils rebuked for Bourn Airfield announcement

17/11/2017

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Some of you will have heard news yesterday suggesting that the Inspectors have approved the Local Plan including 3,500 new homes at Bourn Airfield. 

We were rather surprised to hear that as the Inspectors have yet to make their decision known. 

It is clear that South Cambs District Council and Cambridge City Council have been premature in briefing the press, and others, on the ‘outcome' to the Local Plan Examination. The outcome has certainly not yet been determined. Furthermore, we can report that the Inspectors were surprised and unhappy at the councils' precipitate action. They have written a strongly worded letter to the councils and have specifically asked them to publish their letter to avoid any perception that they have reached a fixed conclusion.

We have attached the Inspectors' letter below. Do let us have your comments.

lp_letter_to_councils_15.11.2017_rd-gen-540.pdf
File Size: 134 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Did you know?

9/11/2017

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Did you know, due to the lack of a 5 year housing plan affecting South Cambs, 3,064 dwellings (not in the Local Plan) received planning permission from June 2014 to March 2017. Since March this year, there have been a further 1,237 dwelling approvals. That's a total of 4,301. These are dwellings that were not taken into consideration in the Local Plan!
Why do we still need 3,500 houses on Bourn Airfield?
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