Update 28th June 2018

Dear All,

Update June 28, 2018

Making Space for People: A spaces and movement strategy for Cambridge Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Stakeholder Open Day Event-Grand Arcade

Some residents associations received invitations to the open day event earlier this week The organisers did not tell FeCRA about the event and we hear attendance was very patchy as few people knew about it. The project is funded by the Greater Cambridge Partnership. It is being undertaken for them by consultants Building Design Partnership. FeCRA were on the procurement panel for the appointment of the consultancy, so the poor communication with residents associations is disappointing.

If you are free there is another open day exhibition tomorrow morning, Friday, June 29, 10-2 at the Grand Arcade. Sorry this is such short notice, details were only posted on the City Council website yesterday.

https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/consultations/making-space-for-people-spd-consultation

Air Quality Action Plan Consultation – open until Sept 18

Dr Anita Lewis has asked us to circulate this link

https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/consultations/air-quality-action-plan-consultation

Report on Cambridge Ahead Event – The Future of Cambridge

A number of FeCRA members attended this event at which Matthew Bullock of Cambridge Ahead and Dr Ying Jin of Cambridge University’s Department of Architecture presented modelling scenarios that the business group Cambridge Ahead have been developing with Cambridge University for the future of Cambridge.

Professor Peter Landshoff kindly circulated a summary of the presentation (attached). There is also an excellent slide presentation of the modelling scenarios which I can forward as an attachment.

Matthew Bullock  stressed that the model that Dr Ying Jin and Dr Andy Cosh of Cambridge University  have come up with is very complex. They will need to come up with a price for running the model with different input parameters. The partnership between Cambridge Ahead and Cambridge University is a commercial one.

Cambridge Ahead will control the access to the model and they intend to charge e.g. planning authorities, ONS (Office of National Statistics) and developers to use their model. The business group is working very closely with the Cambridge planners.

The modelling assumption is for a much higher level of growth and lots more houses to be built; it gives a strong lead on where houses will be built.

About 40% of the group’s members are in the development sector, membership also includes landowners – University, Colleges. Project Groups include Council officers including officers from Cambridgeshire County Council, one of the biggest Cambridgeshire landowners. Members pay £10,000 each to join the group. RAND, another CA member, was funded by members to collect the clusterdata .

Questions were raised about local government and accountability. Stephen Kelly, Joint Director of Planning for South Cambs and Cambridge reports to Rachel Stopard, Chief Exec of the GCP. Transport is tied up with development.

At the meeting the presenters referred to ‘No holds barred growth scenarios’. A number of people have pointed out the slide shown for the densification scenario assumes Trumpington Meadows would be developed alongside Cambridge South station.

Some commented there is nothing in the modelling assumptions on sustainability and environmental capacity.

Best wishes,

 

Wendy

Wendy Blythe

Chair, FeCRA

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