Cambridge Labour is supporting calls from leading councillors on Cambridge City Council for greater clarity on the provision of water supplies to the new homes and offices that will be provided under the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

This follows today’s publication of an update on the development strategy for the plan from the Joint Director of Planning for the City of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

The latest evidence submitted for the plan points to an anticipated need for more homes and jobs than previously envisaged due to the success of the economy, and the report says that the environment and water supply must be protected alongside the need for new homes, especially affordable ones.

However without assurances from central Government and water companies that there will be enough water to allow the Councils to balance their obligation to the environment against the need to provide homes and jobs, it is impossible to say that the need for the additional new homes and jobs can be met.

Councillor Katie Thornburrow, executive councillor for planning and infrastructure, has therefore joined other councillors, including those from South Cambridgeshire District Council, to demand greater clarity about where water will come from in future before any plans are finalised. She has also called for assurances that providing the necessary water will not cause unacceptable environmental harm to the River Cam and our important chalk streams.

While high level plans for water management have been published by Water Resources East, including additional water supply to the area through a new reservoir in the Fens and piping water from elsewhere, local water provider Cambridge Water’s plans for supplying the area’s water needs have not yet been published. This has caused serious concern about whether there is enough water to supply the new homes and business premises.

The update published today also restates Councils’ long term vision to support low-carbon living and working on sites including North East Cambridge, Cambridge East and on the allocated area at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, with a possible extension of the site. These sites would not be significantly developed until the next decade when water supply issues should have been addressed.

Cllr Katie Thornburrow, said: “The protection of our water supplies, as well as the area’s historic chalk streams, must continue to be at the front and centre of our work to develop a new Local Plan. The plan cannot be about growth at all costs; it must also focus on protecting our environment and the special character of the area whilst acknowledging that Cambridge is a key part of the economy on a regional, national, and international level.”

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Notes to Editors

Joint press release: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/news/2023/01/04/water-and-environmental-assurances-needed-as-caution-urged-on-plans-for-new-homes

The Greater Cambridge Local Plan: Development Strategy Update from the Greater Cambridge Planning Service will be discussed by South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Scrutiny and Overview Committee on Thursday 12 January. The agenda for this meeting can be found at https://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=9693&x=1

The report will then be discussed by Cambridge City Council’s Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 17 January. The agenda for this meeting can be found at https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=475&MId=4128&Ver=4

Residents who would like more information about the Greater Cambridge Local Plan Development Strategy Update are invited to join a Zoom webinar on Wednesday 18 January at 12pm. Visit https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/localplan for details and the Zoom link. The webinar will be recorded and made available online, so those not able to attend can watch it back at their convenience.