Readers have raised concerns about water and services over plans for around 4,000 homes on Cambridge’s southern edge
Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been sharing their views on proposals for thousands of new homes on Cambridge’s southern fringe.
A new “mixed-use community” featuring thousands of properties, a new country park and local amenities could be built as part of a major development. Pigeon and Lands Improvement are advancing plans for ‘Cambridge South’.
The Cambridge South site covers approximately 190 hectares and is borderd by the M11 to the west, the Cambridge railway line to the south, Great Shelford to the east and Trumpington to the north. The proposed location is within a 15-minute walk of Cambridge South station, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) and the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.
According to the new Cambridge South website, the scheme would create a “mixed use community located to the south of Cambridge”.
It adds: “Our ambition is to create a well-connected, sustainable place that responds to local needs and opportunities, helping more people live close to jobs, services and green space.”
If given the green light, the development would provide around 4,000 new homes, including 50 per cent affordable housing, homes for Cambridge Biomedical Campus key workers, a new country park along the River Cam, direct access to Cambridge South station and the Guided Busway, new walking and cycling connections and a ’20-minute neighbourhood’, with schools, healthcare, shops and community facilities.
One reader, Oopsiblewoff comments: “We don’t need more houses, we have too many. What’s needed is wood, some solar panels and wind turbines.”
Alydavid agrees: “Absolutely agree. However, it is far more important that rich people get richer, and there is certainly no need to provide the infrastructure needed to support this disaster.”
Southernvillager says: “This article does not mention that the site is in the Green Belt and is not included in either the existing Local Plan or the new, almost final one. It was put into the call for sites for the new one but was rejected due to the level of harm to Green Belt, landscape and biodiversity.
“It is in the wrong place and would destroy what is left of the south western Green Belt, which is an important part of Cambridge’s historic setting – a compact city surrounded by countryside and with green fingers running into the city. The development proposes about twice the number of houses in Great Shelford and would effectively merge the Shelfords with Trumpington, creating a small town on the southern edge of Cambridge. None of this site is 15 minutes walk from Cambridge South station.”
Yellowperil thinks: “There are too many questions about this plan. How much green belt land will be destroyed? How much environmental damage to South Cambridgeshire? Why do we need 4000 extra houses ? Or are these just flats? Who will be buying these square box-shaped properties and why? What infrastructure will be in place? New hospitals? New water supplies? Great Shelford will no longer be a lovely village!”
Whynot2 asks: “Where’s the brown water going? Milton works is at capacity now.”
Beekeepermike questions: “What additional infrastructure are the developers going to build (not just promise to build after the houses, but before. It is too easy for them to back out once the houses are built) – additional roads and not just feeder ones onto the existing overcrowded roads, GP surgeries (fully staffed and large enough to cope with the number of people, say 4 per house), schools (primary and secondary), and new facilities at Addenbrooke’s hospital to cope? The planners and planning inspector never think of these and enforce them. And as many have already said, this does away with the separation of the Shelfords/Stapleford and Trumpington entirely, on green belt land.”
Do you think that building these houses is a good idea? Comment below or HERE to have your say.
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