An updated version of the Proposed Submission Greater Cambridge Local Plan has been published, marking a major milestone in preparing the first joint Local Plan for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.
The Proposed Submission Greater Cambridge Local Plan has been prepared by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council following extensive public engagement, including consultation on the Draft Local Plan earlier this year.
Subject to approval by councillors this month, the Plan will undergo a final round of public consultation from 3 August to 25 September before it is submitted to Government to be examined by an Independent Planning Inspector.
The Greater Cambridge Local Plan will shape how Greater Cambridge grows over the next 20 years. It identifies where new homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure should be located and sets planning policies on themes including climate change, biodiversity, wellbeing, sustainable transport and creating great places to live and work.
Once adopted, it will become the statutory development plan for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire and will guide decisions on planning applications across the area. The latest version of the Plan reflects continued work on infrastructure constraints such as water supply, forecasts on job creation and housing need, confirming a requirement for over 50,000 new homes between 2024 and 2045. Around 37,000 of these are already planned through existing permissions and the current, adopted Local Plan allocations.
As part of this next stage, all comments received during the previous consultation, which ran from December 2025 into January 2026, have now been published alongside updated evidence and supporting documents that have informed preparation of the Proposed Submission Plan.
More than 1,280 people and organisations submitted over 8,400 comments during the latest consultation on the Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan – building upon extensive engagement in previous years. Feedback from residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders has been carefully considered and has helped shape the latest version of the Plan.
Key changes made following the latest consultation include:
- Several of the policies and site allocations have been updated based on the feedback provided, providing greater clarity and tightening up wording where needed;
- Further evidence has been prepared to inform proposals at Cambourne North, resulting in changes to the site boundary and confirmation that the site can overcome transport impacts;
- Further evidence has also been prepared to inform proposals at Land adjacent to A11 and A1307 at Grange Farm, resulting in a reduction in the capacity of the site and development of more detailed policy requirements.
Supporting documents such as the Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment, Consultation Statement and Equalities Impact Assessment have been updated to reflect this stage of plan-making. The Plan and supporting documents will now be considered by councillors. South Cambridgeshire District Council's Scrutiny and Overview Committee will review the documents on 14 July, followed by Cambridge City Council's Performance, Assets and Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 July. A joint Cabinet meeting on 21 July will then decide whether the Plan should proceed to consultation.
If approved by councillors, the consultation from 3 August to 25 September 2026 will be the final opportunity for residents, businesses, landowners and organisations to comment before the Local Plan is submitted to Government for examination by an independent Planning Inspector. Unlike previous consultations, this final stage will only focus on whether the Plan meets the national tests of "soundness". This requires Plans to be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. Proposals for new sites will not be considered at this stage.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Henry Batchelor, said: “This plan will help shape Greater Cambridge for the next 20 years. It sets out where growth should happen, how communities will be supported and how we can respond to major challenges such as climate change, housing need and infrastructure delivery. The Proposed Submission Local Plan that we intend to consult on will give our communities the opportunity to comment on the soundness of the Plan and whether you support or object to the policies. This will play an important role ahead of its submission to Government at the end of the year.”
Cambridge City Council’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy, Planning and External Partnerships, Cllr Katie Thornburrow, said: "Thousands of comments were submitted during the last consultation, demonstrating how strongly people care about the future of Greater Cambridge. Those views have helped shape the Proposed Submission Plan now being considered by councillors. The forthcoming consultation will be the last opportunity to comment before the Plan is submitted to Government, so I would encourage anyone with an interest in the area's future to get involved."
People can sign up for updates and find out more about the Greater Cambridge Local Plan on the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website. Following the consultation, the councils will submit the Plan, consultation responses and supporting evidence to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
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