Updated assessment provides greater assurance over unplanned development in Greater Cambridge

Data published by local councils indicates Greater Cambridge will once again enjoy the full protection from unplanned and inappropriate development provided by its Local Plans.

This follows recent changes by the Government to housing requirements in the area. These changes resulted in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils having to acknowledge that planning decisions could be impacted by national requirements to give greater emphasis in favour of approving new homes.

Through their Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (GCSP) service, the councils have now published a report that shows how, based upon a new survey of development sites and feedback from local developers, they can once again meet Government requirements for the provision of new housing land.

This updated assessment shows that in the five years from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030, 13,383 homes are anticipated to be built, giving a ‘housing land supply’ of 5.5 years.

As a result of this ‘housing land supply’ being restored to above five years, planning applications will again be assessed against all the councils’ local policies – which include a clear plan for where homes should be built - as well as those set nationally.

The short-term loss of a five-year housing supply came when, in December 2024, the Government published new planning policy along with new planning targets for housebuilding for every Council. The new housebuilding targets came into effect immediately.

The joint housing target for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire rose by around a third, from 1,726 to 2,309 homes per year. A buffer was also re-introduced which, combined with the increase, means GCSP needs to be able to demonstrate a supply of just over 12,100 homes in Greater Cambridge over the next five years.

GCSP reported in April 2024 that the housing trajectory for the five-year period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029 was 11,190 homes, equating to a demonstrated supply of 6.5 years prior to the changes in December 2024. However, with the new target set by Government increasing, effective immediately, the councils announced in early February how their supply had fallen to just under five years.

National planning rules meant this housing land supply position of under five years became a factor when making decisions on planning applications, with the balance “tilted” to favour giving planning permission where the development is of high quality and in sustainable locations.

Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure, Cllr Katie Thornburrow, said: “I would like to thank all of the officers who worked so hard to reassess the Land Supply Report and ensure that we could demonstrate that our ‘housing land supply’ goes above five years. This means that the impact on the ‘tilted balance’ in considering planning applications has been very limited, and we are back to the position where applications are assessed against all the councils’ local policies – which include a clear plan for where homes should be built - as well as those set nationally.”

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Dr. Tumi Hawkins, said: “Many other councils across the country found themselves in this position too because the target for new homes was changed with immediate effect. We know we need a diverse range of high quality and well-connected new homes, which continue to be in great demand locally. However, it is crucial that these are built in the right places. This updated assessment means we once again expect all our local policies to be given appropriate weight in all our decisions. In turn, this will give communities more protection from speculative and inappropriate planning applications that don’t fit in with our current adopted Local Plans for well-planned, sustainable development.”