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 suite of policies which will help to ensure that new development in the area reduces its environmental impact – minimising carbon emissions, flood risk, pollution and pressure on resources such as water and helping to protect and enhance biodiversity.

In order to ensure that these policies are implemented as effectively as possible, guidance is required to ensure that the correct information is submitted alongside planning applications, demonstrating how policy requirements will be met. 

The Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction SPD [PDF, 5.5MB] has been prepared to provide additional technical guidance on the implementation of these policies, setting 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:

• Contributing to carbon reduction targets and reducing fuel poverty
• Ensuring that new development is adaptable to our changing climate
• Ensuring that new development makes efficient use of resources
• Ensuring that new development contributes to the health and wellbeing of new and existing residents

The focus of the document is on providing guidance on existing adopted policies.

The councils’ aspirations for net zero carbon will be developed as part of work on the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

Adoption documents

The SPD was adopted by South Cambridgeshire District Council on 8 January 2020 and by Cambridge City Council on 14 January 2020.

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 adopted SPD takes into consideration comments received during public consultation, which took place between 15 July and 23 September 2019. The Statement of Consultation includes a summary of comments and the councils’ response.

• Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction SPD [PDF, 5.5MB]
• Adoption Statement [PDF, 0.2MB]
• Statement of Consultation [PDF, 1.5MB]
• Sustainability Appraisal Screening Report [PDF, 0.4MB]
• Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report [PDF, 0.4MB]
• Equalities Impact Assessment: Cambridge City Council [PDF, 0.2MB]
• Equalities Impact Assessment: South Cambridgeshire District Council [PDF, 0.4MB]

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