Councillors have unanimously agreed plans to create a new Local Plan for East Cambridgeshire should be put on hold.
They made the recommendation to reconsider the timing of the project at the Full Council meeting on 25 February. The council had been planning to deliver a new Local Plan by the end of 2027, with the primary aim of setting out details of how to meet local and affordable housing needs.
However, the government’s decision to reorganise district and county councils into new unitary authorities with different geographical boundaries means the council would need to redo any technical studies in relation to its call for new development sites.
In addition, the government has now confirmed it will be publishing new guidelines for Local Plans at the end of this year.
The key risk in delaying the Local Plan has always been the danger of speculative development. If the council is unable to prove it has enough pre-agreed sites set aside to accommodate new housing it risks being approached by developers to build on land outside of pre-identified areas which can be upsetting for communities.
However, the 5-year land supply report published in October 2024 allays many of those risks. Based on the report, the council is now able to confirm it has enough land to accommodate new development for the next 6 to 7 years, with more plots anticipated to come forward from 2031.
Cllr Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Much has changed in the few short months since we made the decision to progress with the Local Plan for East Cambridgeshire.
“As well as factoring in the new Devolution White Paper and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we now know new guidelines for Local Plans are expected this year. Furthermore, there are emerging details of new sites within the development envelopes being put forward for housing. This means there is less pressure on the council to shoehorn in a new Local Plan to help protect our rural landscape and the communities within it.
“The public will get to have their say on where new development takes place – but it’s important we do this at the right time and when we have all the facts at our fingertips. For now, at least, that pressure is off.”
East Cambridgeshire’s current Local Plan was last reviewed in 2023 and covers the period up to 2031.