To invite Councillor Robert Guinea and Councillor Ruth Southworth to present a petition on behalf of Houghton & Wyton Parish Council and residents of the District containing 843 signatures regarding concerns around the implications of the recent Local Plan Preferred Options consultation. The petitioners have made the following statement :
“Pause the Huntingdonshire District Council Local Plan
We are deeply concerned about the implications of the current Local Plan for Huntingdonshire, driven by a pressing need to protect our quality of life. If the plan proceeds without necessary amendments, our beloved community faces the risk of merging towns and villages into a concentrated, doughnut shaped sprawling conurbation. This not only threatens the character of Huntingdonshire but also places immense pressure on our infrastructure.
Potential Consequences of the Current Plan:
v Essential services, including roads, water, power, and sewage systems, are at risk of becoming overstretched—impacting daily life.
v Water resources could suffer, with potential rationing of less than 90 litres per day per person. Furthermore, river pollution could escalate if housing developments outpace necessary infrastructure improvements.
v The loss of prime farmland and devastating damage to Great Ouse Valley's scenic landscapes.
v Unsustainable commuting patterns to Cambridge and Bedfordshire will lead to increased congestion and pollution.
v A perception that the decision-making process lacks transparency and breadth of public engagement.
Given these serious concerns, we the undersigned petition Huntingdonshire District Council to:
Pause the Local Plan (Update 2046) until the boundaries of the new Unitary Authority are precisely defined and understood, ensuring decisions are made with complete context. Other Councils have already done this.
Challenge the Inflated Housing Target, taking inspiration from successful challenges undertaken by other councils. Reducing expected targets could limit over-development pressure on the community.
Rely on Real Evidence, Not Assumptions: Conduct comprehensive infrastructure studies that examine the true capabilities and limit of current systems. Secure necessary funding prior to committing to large scale developments.
Our community’s future depends on careful, participatory, and evidence-based planning rather than rushed approvals. Let us safeguard Huntingdonshire’s unique character, wellbeing, and resources for current and future generations. Help us champion a local plan that reflects our shared values and needs.”
5 Minutes Presentation of Petition
5 Minutes Questions to Petitioners
No longer than 15 Minutes for the ensuing debate
Contact:25 Minutes
Minutes:
The Chair invited Parish Councillors Robert Guinea, Paul Boothman and Ruth Southworth to present a petition submitted on behalf of 843 signatures regarding concerns around the implications of the recent Local Plan Preferred Options consultation.
The petition statement was as follows:
“Pause the Huntingdonshire District Council Local Plan
We are deeply concerned about the implications of the current Local Plan for Huntingdonshire, driven by a pressing need to protect our quality of life. If the plan proceeds without necessary amendments, our beloved community faces the risk of merging towns and villages into a concentrated, doughnut shaped sprawling conurbation. This not only threatens the character of Huntingdonshire but also places immense pressure on our infrastructure.
Potential Consequences of the Current Plan:
v Essential services, including roads, water, power, and sewage systems, are at risk of becoming overstretched—impacting daily life.
v Water resources could suffer, with potential rationing of less than 90 litres per day per person. Furthermore, river pollution could escalate if housing developments outpace necessary infrastructure improvements.
v The loss of prime farmland and devastating damage to Great Ouse Valley's scenic landscapes.
v Unsustainable commuting patterns to Cambridge and Bedfordshire will lead to increased congestion and pollution.
v A perception that the decision-making process lacks transparency and breadth of public engagement.
Given these serious concerns, we the undersigned petition Huntingdonshire District Council to:
Pause the Local Plan (Update 2046) until the boundaries of the new Unitary Authority are precisely defined and understood, ensuring decisions are made with complete context. Other Councils have already done this.
Challenge the Inflated Housing Target, taking inspiration from successful challenges undertaken by other councils. Reducing expected targets could limit over-development pressure on the community.
Rely on Real Evidence, Not Assumptions: Conduct comprehensive infrastructure studies that examine the true capabilities and limit of current systems. Secure necessary funding prior to committing to large scale developments.
Our community’s future depends on careful, participatory, and evidence-based planning rather than rushed approvals. Let us safeguard Huntingdonshire’s unique character, wellbeing, and resources for current and future generations. Help us champion a local plan that reflects our shared values and needs.”
The Parish Councillors addressed the Chamber expressing their opinion that the six week public consultation period pre Christmas was too short. They noted that they were not opposed to the Plan in principle and noted it’s many merits for Huntingdonshire and her residents, however they also felt that there were significant weaknesses in the Plan which they noted. They expressed concern that what they felt to be unresolved issues would resurface at the examination stage, potentially leading the Planning Inspector to find the Plan unsound. They stated that they were asking for the process to be paused now to avoid greater delays in the future by addressing the gaps in evidence within the Plan to truly reflect the best interests of Huntingdonshire.
In addressing the chamber, Councillor D Keane thanked those involved with the petition for their hard work and engagement with the community. The Councillor noted the importance of scrutiny in the Plan and noted that were it not to be adopted prior to the implementation of Local Government Review (LGR) it may be affected and amending by the resulting Unitary Authority creating a long-term risk for the residents and businesses of Huntingdonshire. He ended by questioning the petitioners on their expectations if the Plan were to be paused. In response, the petitioners advised that in their opinion the pause could be used to complete the vital infrastructure and viability work to bring a full evidence base in support of the Plan. They highlighted concerns of the Planning Inspector at the examination of the previous Local Plan in 2018 due to the proximity of two proposed sites. They expressed further concern that the proposed new sites in the new Plan did not utilise the recently improved infrastructure of the improved A14, A1307 or A1M. They further stated that the public consultation for the Local Plan following a public consultation for the 141 had created confusion for the general public and as such a robust public consultation for the Local Plan had not been undertaken.
Councillor N J Hunt drew attention to Huntingdon being in titled balance following changes to local housing targets by the Government, in part due to the context of the wider housing crisis, and noted that this tilted balance enabled speculative development without the supporting infrastructure, and that opposing the Local Plan would keep the district in tilted balance for longer. He questioned the petitioners on how they felt Huntingdon should deal with this issue should the Plan be paused and what harm they felt this would bring to the District. The petitioners responded that in their opinion not pausing the Plan would potentially prolong the tilted balance were the Inspector to find the Plan unsound.
It was questioned, by Councillor L Davenport-Ray, whether all of the 843 signatories lived or worked in Huntingdonshire, to which the petitioners responded that they were confident the majority did. They also stated that their influence had reached further than just the signatories, having presented to 11 town and parish councils, campaigned at St Ives Farmers Market and having handed out thousands of leaflets on the matter.
The Executive Councillor for Planning, Councillor T D Sanderson, formally received the petition and thanked the petitioners for their hard work in creating and gaining support for the petition. Councillor Sanderson further acknowledged that the Council had been in tilted balance since December 2024 due to the Government’s new and increased housing targets and that the Council no longer had a 5 year supply of housing land which made it difficult for the Council to reject planning applications. It was the Executive Councillors view that should the Plan be paused this situation would be prolonged and may result in decisions which some parish councils may find disagreeable. He further noted the hard work and dedication from officers and elected members in progressing the Local Plan to this point since 2023 and noted that several public consultations had been carried out over that time encompassing a number of themes. It was also stated that the Plan must be submitted by the Governments deadline of 31st December 2026.
In conclusion, Councillor Sanderson advised that a formal response would be given to the petitioners outside of the meeting and recognised how that fit in line with LGR. He noted that the Council had voted for Option E, a standalone Huntingdonshire, and that the Council had a Plan to manage and support growth within Huntingdonshire. Furthermore, he noted that all documents relating to the development of the Local Plan could be seen on the Councils website.