Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

What is the SPD about?

The planned growth for Greater Cambridge provides an exciting opportunity to create sustainable and vibrant new communities that contribute to meeting national targets set out in the Climate Change Act.  

The adopted 2018 Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans contains a set of policies which will help ensure that new development in the area has a reduced environmental impact to minimise carbon emissions, flood risk, pollution and pressure on resources such as water and so help protect and enhance biodiversity.  

To ensure that these policies are carried out as well as possible, guidance is needed to ensure that the right information is submitted alongside planning applications that show how policy requirements will be met. 

The SPD has been prepared to provide extra technical guidance on the implementation of these policies and sets out the information that should be submitted with planning applications to demonstrate how schemes meet the Councils requirements. In providing such guidance, the SPD will ensure that new development contributes to meeting the challenges posed by our changing climate including:

In providing such guidance, the SPD will ensure that new development helps to meet the challenges posed by our changing climate including: 

• helping reach carbon reduction targets and reducing fuel poverty 

• ensuring that new development can adapt to our changing climate 

• ensuring that new development makes good use of resources 
• ensuring that new development adds to the health and well-being of new and existing residents 

The aim of the document is to give guidance on existing adopted policies. The Council’s hopes for net zero carbon will be developed as part of work on the Emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

Adoption Documents

The SPD supplements a number of policies in the adopted Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans and is a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

The SPD takes into account comments received during public consultation. The Statement of Consultation [PDF, 1.5MB] includes a summary of comments and our response.

• Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction SPD [PDF, 5.5MB]
• Adoption Statement [PDF, 0.2MB]
• Statement of Consultation [PDF, 1MB]
• Sustainability Appraisal Screening Report
• Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report [PDF, 0.5MB]
• Cambridge Equalities Impact Assessment
• South Cambridgeshire Equalities Impact Assessment

The comments received to the Draft SPD can be viewed on the online consultation system.