South Cambridgeshire Hall Cambourne Business Park Cambourne Cambridge, CB23 6EA www.scambs.gov.uk 03450 455 215 Laura Graham BSc MA MRTPI Alan Wood MSc FRICS c/o Gloria Alexander Programme Officer South Cambridgeshire Hall Cambourne CB23 6EA Planning Policy Our ref: Contact: Caroline Hunt Your ref: Email:
[email protected] 15 March 2017 Direct dial: 01954 713196 Dear Miss Graham and Mr Wood South Cambridgeshire Local Plan Examination – Hearing Session relating to Policy H/9: Affordable Housing Thank you for your letter dated 19 January 2017 sent to the Council via the Programme Officer. The Council notes that you do not consider that sufficient information has been presented to date to demonstrate that the local circumstances of South Cambridgeshire are sufficient to justify an affordable housing threshold lower than that included in the Written Ministerial Statement and now comprising national planning policy. On 12 September 2016, the Council submitted its statement to Matter SC5 – Delivering High Quality Homes, which addressed a series of your questions relating to Policy H/9 Affordable Housing. The Matters and Issues included a question relating to the viability of small scale residential development, but did not raise any wider questions about the appropriateness of the 3 dwelling threshold in the context of the WMS nor was there any discussion at the examination hearings into the justification for departing from the WMS. As such, whilst the Council in its response referred to the Written Ministerial Statement, the Council’s full position as to local circumstance justification was not presented at this stage. Your letter indicates that you would welcome the Council’s comments with regard to the matter of the affordable housing threshold.