Mitigating the impact of urban growth

Contents

New housing development, across Cambridge and on the fringes of the city, creates additional demands on facilities and amenities.

Read developer contributions to find out more about how Greater Cambridge Shared Planning secures S106 contributions from developers to help mitigate these impacts.

Recently completed S106-funded projects

Every ward in Cambridge has benefitted from a range of S106-funded projects. See our photo gallery of examples of recently completed S106-funded projects [PDF, 7MB].

Projects completed recently (with approximate S106 funding stated in brackets) include:

  • Abbey Leisure fitness studio – gym equipment, Abbey ward (£22,000)
  • Basketball improvements at: Coldhams Common, Abbey ward (£6,000), Green End Road, East Chesterton (£14,000), Scotland Road Rec, East Chesterton (£14,000) and St Matthew’s Piece, Petersfield (£18,000)
  • Cambridge United Foundation – AV equipment for community meeting space, Abbey ward (£15,000)
  • Campkin Road community centre – furniture, King’s Hedges ward (£10,000)
  • Chesterton Rec Pavilion – furnishings and equipment, East Chesterton (£17,000)
  • Christ’s Pieces tennis courts, Market ward (£38,000)
  • Christ the Redeemer Church – storage, furniture and equipment for community meeting space, Abbey ward (£7,000)
  • Coleridge Rec Ground outdoor fit kit, Coleridge ward (£70,000)
  • Goalposts for football pitches at Coldham’s Common, Cherry Hinton Rec, Nightingale Avenue Rec and St Alban’s Rec (£11,000)
  • Jesus Green Lido floodlighting, Market ward (£36,000)
  • The Junction community meeting space improvements plus AV & presentation equipment, Coleridge ward (£113,000 plus £25,000)
  • Netherhall School sports centre – indoor sports equipment, Queen Edith’s ward (£10,000)
  • Netherhall School sports centre – outdoor sports improvements, Queen Edith’s ward (£39,000)
  • Newmarket Road retail park – indoor skate park equipment, Abbey ward (£41,000)
  • Nightingale Avenue Recreation Ground Pavilion – furnishings and equipment, Queen Edith’s ward (£17,000)
  • Playlaws public art commission – around relevant parts of Petersfield and neighbouring wards (£103,500)
  • Ross Street community centre – AV equipment and storage, Romsey ward (£10,000)
  • Squared Circle Boxing Club – storage and equipment, Abbey ward (£7,000)
  • St Philip’s School – outdoor community area and canopy, Romsey ward (£25,000)
  • Trumpington Village Hall – furniture, Trumpington ward (£8,000)

Reports on the use of S106 funding

The latest S106 committee reports - on the use of S106 funding for improving play area, parks and open spaces, community facilities and indoor and outdoor sports facilities – were considered by the Council’s Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee on 16 January 2025.

These reports’ appendices include summaries of both generic S106 funds that need to be used over the next few years, plus other specific contributions for improving particular facilities that will need to be used (mostly over a longer time).

Following consideration by the scrutiny committee, the projects recommended in these S106 reports for making use of generic (along with some specific) S106 funds were approved by the relevant executive councillors. The projects will now be developed in more detail, including consultation and engagement with local councillors and communities, as appropriate.

A wider S106 programme is being developed for the use of S106 funding on relevant improvements to local facilities and amenities to mitigate the impact of development. Following the projects approved for S106 funding in the latest S106 reports, further phases of projects (largely those funded from specific S106 contributions) will be developed in due course so that those S106 funds with longer shelf-lives can also be used on time. There will also be opportunities for local councillors and communities to help shape the details of these longer-term projects.

Previous S106 reports

Prior to these latest reports, between October 2023 and June 2024, executive councillors allocated around £1 million of S106 funding to mitigating the impact of growth in the city. Many of these projects have now been completed.

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Living in the new neighbourhoods

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