Cambridgeshire residents deserve better than a vote without the facts. They deserve a process that reflects the seriousness of the decision, and one that treats democratic scrutiny as a foundation, not an inconvenience. So why did the administration at the County Council decide to hide the Option A business case from residents and stakeholders? On reading the proposal for Option A, I think the answer becomes clear. Under Option A East Cambridgeshire will fall into the Greater Cambridge Local Plan footprint. This is an area set to take 150,000 new homes on top of the numbers already contained in the Local Plan (up to 77,000). Housing need will be recalculated across the new planning area. Instead of each district demonstrating its own 5-year housing land supply, the new authority will do this across its new geography; it is not only inevitable that the new authority will look to sites in East Cambridgeshire for delivery of large numbers of new homes , it is explicitly stated throughout the County Council’s Option A business case, including stating in relation to housing growth, that to allow Greater Cambridge to prosper the new unitary council must be established on a larger footprint. That new footprint is East Cambridgeshire. The emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan is already in trouble before it has even been adopted, losing large housing sites that will have to be replaced. Land values and constraints are lower in East Cambridgeshire. Option A would also see local people lose local control of where those homes go – the Government, through the Cambridge Growth Company, will be deciding where the 150,000 new homes will be located.
Contact Me Email: Anna.Bailey@eastcambs.gov.uk Tel: 01353 663 253 Facebook: www.facebook.com/CllrAnnaBailey X: @Annabailey_Ely
Anna Bailey ECDC Councillor, Downham Ward Leader of the Council
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