The vision for the fight against climate change is key to the future of new homes, communities and growth in the Greater Cambridge area, according to Cambridge Council leaders.
Cambridge City Council Leader, Cllr Lewis Herbert, and South Cambridgeshire District Council Leader, Cllr Bridget Smith who are working together to produce a Joint Local Plan, spoke about their vision of becoming leading authorities in the fight against climate change, whilst delivering the development the region needs.
“We cannot be building houses that are not sustainable homes” says Cllr Herbert, who’s Council declared a climate emergency in February 2019, while Cllr Smith made clear that her “overarching priority” is the environment.
However, their definition of sustainability is not limited to the climate; both stressed that they see addressing inequality through making homes as efficient as possible as their role in an increasingly expensive region. They want to work with the private sector to do so.
A sustainable future for Greater Cambridge includes creating homes with lower running costs, with easy access to jobs through public transport and in locations where communities can thrive.
What can developers do to achieve this vision?
The message to developers is clear: build new homes and communities in the right places with the right opportunities for residents: “We’ve got to get the connectivity in terms of public transport, and we’ve got to have a really high ambition for the way that we build” said Cllr Herbert, who argues locality is key.
Engagement at a formative stage is central too; there are “opportunities to be better” in the development sector says Cllr Herbert and within their own Local Plan, Cllr Smith argues, they have sought to “encourage everybody to take part” in what they see is a “very good and accessible consultation”.
65% of UK councils have declared climate emergencies. BECG has launched a campaign to work with the public and private sectors to discuss sustainability, better explain the way that the industry has adapted and to help shape local and national policy. We recently worked with Savanta ComRes to survey councillors in England on the importance they attach to the climate emergency in relation to planning. Our analysis shows that it is the only factor that has increased in importance to planning decision-making over the past 12 months.
For more information, please go to cavendishconsulting.com/netzero.
BECG has extensive experience supporting residential, commercial, infrastructure and energy schemes across the country. To find out more about the services we offer, please contact James Wood.
