Some key points for House Owners and Potential Developers:

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If you are thinking of extending/changing your home or developing a site in South Newnham, there are some basic things to consider before spending time and money on architects and builders.

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The Local Plan: -

 

 [https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/media/6890/local-plan-2018.pdf] 

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These are the policies on which the Planning Officers will base their decision when determining your application, so you will need to take them into account.

 

In particular, look at Section 7-Policies 55, 56, 57,58,59, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 69, 70 and 71.

 

Conservation Areas

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If your property is in a Conservation Area, the relevant Conservation Area Appraisal will be important.

 

The Conservation Officer is a statutory consultee on planning applications in Conservation Areas and will comment on whether plans are appropriate or not in this particular context. 

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It is important that your architect is familiar with these documents and all their policies, and if you live in a Conservation Area, it is worth also commissioning a 'Design & Access' statement to go with the plans. Such a document sets out more details than can be conveyed by simple plan drawings and demonstrates that you have taken context and the Conservation Area appraisal into consideration. It can also help explain any practical aspects of your application, e.g., how you envisage the works proceeding in an orderly manner that minimises noise and disturbance for your neighbours.

 

Consulting with neighbours

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Engaging with the community at an early stage is part of the process described in the National Planning Policy Framework, and open discussion with neighbours about your initial ideas is of key importance. Planning Officers consider all comments submitted by local residents, so gaining support from the beginning makes for a much smoother process.

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Information/advice

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Looking at other applications in your area can show what are likely to be the key points you need to consider when drawing up your plans. These can be viewed on the Council's 'Planning Portal' https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/planning

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​Consider meeting with a Planning Officer and, if relevant, a Conservation Officer, to gain more knowledge about what is allowed in your area.

 

The Forum may be able to provide advice if you are thinking of extending your house or developing a site in South Newnham, or you are affected by a planning application, Members are not planning experts but have built up some experience of Cambridge's planning process and may be able to offer some suggestions, particularly if your property is in a Conservation Area. The Forum can often meet with householders who have prepared plans and would like to discuss them prior to submission but it is very important that such discussions or meetings are not misrepresented in any eventual planning application and supporting design and access statement as has occurred from time to time in the past.

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The primary purpose of such review or discussion is to make sure that the delegated Forum members have a full understanding of what is proposed and are more able to communicate that detail back to the Forum committee and the wider Forum in due course. These delegates do NOT have authority to express a "quotable" opinion on behalf of the Forum. Accordingly, prior to meeting or a discussion we will ask the householders to formally confirm the following: -

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"We understand that any review of our pre-submission plans by the Forum is confidential, and we will ensure that any reference to such review or meetings in our planning application submitted by ourselves or our agents is strictly limited to noting that such meetings have occurred and not imply or express any opinion about the Forums approval or disapproval of the plans".

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This is important because when comments are sought from the Forum in general, there can be further issues raised which may change the view that the Forum decides to take on the final application.