The planning application was initially reviewed by the District Council’s Planning Committee in January 2021. Credit: David Calvert / Shutterstock.

South Cambridgeshire District Council in the UK has granted planning permission to RLW Estates for the construction of up to 4,500 homes as part of the Waterbeach new town development.

This project also encompasses the development of retail, business, community, leisure and sports facilities and includes the establishment of new primary and secondary schools, alongside a Sixth Form centre.

The latest approval, when combined with the previous consent given to Urban&Civic for up to 6,500 new homes, will see the completion of the new town at Waterbeach, as outlined in the District Council’s 2018 Local Plan.

The planning process experienced delays due to discussions regarding infrastructure requirements and recent concerns over water supply issues in Greater Cambridge.

However, with the government’s formation of a Water Scarcity Group for Cambridge, the council has now resolved these issues and granted the final approval for the project.

The planning application was initially reviewed by the District Council’s Planning Committee in January 2021.

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The committee agreed that permission should be granted, subject to the imposition of conditions and the completion of a Section 106 agreement. This agreement is crucial for obtaining the necessary infrastructure, including community spaces, new schools, and affordable housing.

Despite the progress, there were previous objections from the Environment Agency regarding concerns about water supplies and the sufficiency of Cambridge Water’s plans to meet future demand. These concerns needed to be addressed before the project could move forward.

South Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Lead Cabinet Member councillor Dr Tumi Hawkins said: “At a time of national focus on the delivery of new homes and economic growth, being able to issue the final permission for this site will help the Council to meet the growing pressure on local authorities to identify and bring forward sites for new housing.

“In Greater Cambridge, our annual housing target has grown this month from 1,675 homes per year in the adopted 2018 Local Plan to 2,309 homes per year.

“Ensuring with our partners, such as the Greater Cambridge Partnership, that Waterbeach can fully contribute to meeting that annual target as soon as possible is therefore important.”