Planning guidance
This page brings together adopted and unadopted guidance across a wide range of topics. Adopted guidance has been subject to formal consultation and elected member scrutiny, and holds greater planning weight than unadopted guidance.
- General guidance on key topics
- Supplementary Planning Documents
- Supplementary Planning Documents adopted prior to 2018
- Unadopted guidance
General guidance on key topics
- Our adopted Local Plans, Area Action Plans and Neighbourhood Plans are the development plan documents for our area and planning applications will be decided with reference to their policies.
- Please read the Cambridgeshire quality charter for growth [PDF, 1MB] which sets out the core principles for the level of quality to be expected in new developments.
- To find out more about historic environment issues, including listed buildings and conservation areas, visit our Historic environment pages.
- For guidance on trees, visit the Cambridge City trees webpage, or the South Cambridgeshire trees webpage.
- For guidance on biodiversity, visit the Cambridge City biodiversity webpage.
- Open Space and Recreation Strategy
- Car and cycle parking standards
- Recycling and waste storage guidance
- Telecommunications planning information
Supplementary Planning Documents
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) add further detail to the policies in the Local Plans. These documents can be a material consideration in planning decisions but are not part of the development plan.
- Cambridgeshire Flood and Water SPD - adopted November 2018
- Sustainable Design and Construction SPD - adopted January 2020
- RECAP Waste Management Design Guide and Supplementary Planning Document and Toolkit – adopted February 2012. Read more about recycling and waste storage requirements from the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service
- Cambridge East: North of Cherry Hinton SPD - adopted November 2018
- Waterbeach New Town SPD - adopted February 2019
- Bourn Airfield New Village SPD - adopted October 2019
- Village Design Statement SPDs (Caldecote, Fulbourn, Gamlingay, Histon & Impington, Over, Papworth Everard, Sawston, Swavesey) - adopted January 2020
- Grafton Area of Major Change - Masterplan and Guidance SPD
- Land north of Cherry Hinton SPD
- Mill Road Depot Planning and Development Brief SPD
- Mitcham's Corner Development Framework SPD
- New museums site development framework SPD
- Ridgeons site SPD
Supplementary Planning Documents adopted prior to 2018
The following SPDs were adopted by us to provide guidance to support previously adopted Development Plan Documents that have now been superseded by the Cambridge City Local Plan 2018. These documents are still material considerations when making planning decisions, with the weight in decision making to be determined on a case by case basis having regard to consistency with national planning guidance and the adopted Cambridge City Local Plan 2018:
- Affordable housing SPD
- Cycle parking in new developments SPD
- Eastern Gate Development Framework SPD
- Old Press/Mill Lane SPD
- Planning Obligations Strategy SPD
- Public art SPD
The following SPDs were adopted by us to provide guidance to support previously adopted Development Plan Documents that have now been superseded by the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018. These documents are still material considerations when making planning decisions, with the weight in decision making to be determined on a case by case basis having regard to consistency with national planning guidance and the adopted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018:
- Affordable Housing SPD [PDF, 0.7MB]
- Biodiversity SPD
- Cottenham Village Design Statement SPD
- Development Affecting Conservation Areas SPD
- District Design Guide SPD
- Fen Drayton Former Land Settlement Association Estate SPD
- Health Impact Assessment SPD
- Landscape in New Developments SPD
- Listed Buildings SPD
- Open Space in New Developments SPD
- Orchard Park Design Guidance SPD
- Public Art SPD
- Trees and Development Sites SPD
Unadopted guidance
Design guidance for Cambridge suburbs and approaches:
- Design codes for strategic development sites within the Cambridge fringe areas: Informal guidance note [PDF, 1.5MB]
- Marketing signage for Cambridge Fringe sites March 2012 [PDF, 64Kb]
Information for developers in North East Cambridge: