Since March 2017, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has been established as a Mayoral Combined Authority for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area. The Combined Authority works with the local councils, the Business Board (Local Enterprise Partnership), local public services, Government departments and agencies, universities and businesses to grow the local and national economy.

Local government is divided between Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, which is a separate unitary authority. Under the county council, there are five district councils, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and Fenland District Council.

The current Strategic Planning position in Cambridgeshire is as follows:

Peterborough City Council

The Peterborough Local Plan was adopted on 24 July 2019.

This is a statutory Local Plan which sets out the overall approach to development in Peterborough to 2036 and beyond.

The Council have now launched a draft of the new Local Plan (2024-2044) and opened public consultation until 29 May 2025. The plan outlines emerging planning policies, development proposals, and locations for housing and employment sites. Representations can be made and updates viewed on the Council’s website.

Cambridgeshire County Council

In the past, strategic planning for Cambridgeshire was undertaken at a ‘higher plan‐making level’, most recently through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan 2003 and the Regional Spatial Strategy (the East of England Plan 2008). Both these documents have now been revoked and strategic planning is now undertaken at a local level, coordinated by a statutory ‘duty to cooperate’. This cooperation has in part been through the oversight provided by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Joint Strategic Planning Unit which was set up to help coordinate the development of strategy with the district planning authorities and stakeholders in the area.

Cambridge City

The Cambridge Local Plan 2018 forms part of the development plan for Cambridge. It sets out the vision, policies and proposals for the future development and land use in Cambridge to 2031. It is the main consideration in the determination of planning applications. More details can be viewed here.

South Cambridgeshire 

The South Cambridgeshire Local Plan was adopted in September 2018 and sets out the planning policies and land allocations to guide the future development of the district up to 2031. It includes policies on a wide range of topics such as housing, employment, services and facilities and the natural environment.

Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council are working together to create a joint Local Plan.  The Councils are currently exploring the issues raised in representations to the First Proposals consultation and moving towards the next consultation stage: a Draft version of the Local Plan. The latest timetable for the Local Plan set out in the Local Development Scheme was adopted in January 2025. This indicates that the Draft Plan Consultation (Reg 18) is due at the end of 2025. Further information can be found here.

East Cambridgeshire 

The East Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2015 sets out the vision, objectives spatial strategy and policies for the future development of the district. It also identifies land and allocates sites for different types of development, such as housing and employment, to deliver the planned growth for the district to 2031.

A Local Plan Review was progressed during 2016 and 2017.  However, following receipt of the Inspector’s report with recommended modifications, East Cambridgeshire District Council voted to withdraw the emerging Local Plan at its February 2019 Council meeting.

Huntingdonshire 

In May 2019, Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036  was adopted together with the Adopted Policies map .

The Council have commenced a full update to the adopted Local Plan. Further information can be found here. All sites submitted during the Call for Sites can be found on the Council’s interactive map and also in this spreadsheet, which is ordered by parish. The Council is now considering the responses to the Further Issues and Options document and Land Availability Assessments which closed in November 2024. Public engagement on the Land Availability Assessments for Additional Submitted Sites is proposed to be held over 6 weeks between 23 April and 4 June 2025. Comments will be sought only on these additional sites; this will not be an opportunity to comment on sites previously consulted upon. The Preferred Options Local Plan (draft plan) consultation is currently scheduled for autumn/winter 2025.

Fenland

The Fenland Local Development Plan was adopted in 2014 and contains the policies and broad locations for the growth and regeneration of Fenland over the next 20 years.

Fenland District Council consultation on the Draft version of a new Local Plan ended on 19 October 2022.  All comments received can be reviewed and are made available on the Fenland DC website. Any changes arising from the consultation will be made to the draft Local Plan.

The publication date for the Proposed Submission version is currently scheduled for May 2026. Following consultation, this version of the plan will then be submitted to central government who will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to carry out a public examination into the document.

For further advice or to find out how your property fits into this framework for planning in Cambridgeshire please contact us.

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