About Cambourne
Cambourne is a new settlement nine miles west of Cambridge. The masterplan and design guide by Terry Farrell and Partners were approved in 1996 and work started on site in June 1998. Cambourne’s current projected size is 4,200 homes and at the time of the study in May 2007 just over half have been built. The total area of the site is 417 hectares, only 131 hectares of which are for housing. Over half the residents are local and people give three key reasons for moving to Cambourne – the appearance of the house, the idea of living in a village and lower house prices. But the population is very mobile and 40% of households intend to stay less than three years. Cambourne has a younger population than the rest of the region – many of the residents are families with young children.
Homes are bigger. 70% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms. And house prices are 15-20% lower than in Cambridge. So you get more for your money. The majority of people travel less than 12 miles to work, not surprising since many work in Cambridge and car ownership is particularly high. The proportion of people using their car to travel to work is twice that in Cambridge. Only 8% of people walk or cycle to work compared with 40% in Cambridge. In contrast over 90% of nursery and primary age children walk to school compared to only 30% in South Cambs and Cambridge. Masterplan vision The marketing for Cambourne painted an idyllic future where families could get the best of both worlds – a place in the country with urban amenities. This vision harks back to the Garden City movement.
Size and location
There is pressure for Cambourne to grow, possibly to double its present size. This would allow a secondary school to be built, would provide more local jobs and would make facilities like shops and services more viable. There is a lack of connection to surrounding villages and Cambourne is poorly integrated into the surrounding countryside, which is a pity since the countryside around Cambourne is the nicest part of the county for walking. Given the attention paid to footpaths within the settlement this poor connection is surprising.
The reason was, in part, political – there was opposition of people in surrounding villages and farms. New settlements need good pedestrian and cycle links to local footpaths and bridleways and these rights of way need to be established well in advance of construction.
Built form and green space
The design of the houses tries to reflect that in local villages. But the size of the settlement is much larger and the form and density of the housing and civic buildings is quite different. Compared to other new housing in the region, the design and layout of the housing is good and there are many parts of Cambourne that are very attractive. The houses are popular with new residents and have sold well. The majority are family homes with gardens and room to extend and, in this respect; they may prove more adaptable in the long-term than denser developments in Cambridge.
One of the best things about Cambourne is the ecology. A key objective in the masterplan was to create three physically separate communities divided by green space. People very much appreciate the areas of woodland that have been retained and the green spaces that have been created. Without this green space Cambourne would feel much less rural and more like any other housing estate. Something that strikes you as you walk around is the lack of litter and graffiti and how well gardens are kept. Clearly people take pride in the place.
Environmental design and sustainability
Although Cambourne was planned ten years ago, sustainability was the central aim of the Masterplan. However, apart from some of the social housing developed by Circle Anglia, the environmental design of the buildings is unexceptional. The housing was built to 10% above current building regulations, so might achieve level 1 on the new Code for Sustainable Homes. (The highest level on the Code is 6. The German Passivhaus reaches level 4 on the Code.)
Private developers and social landlords are applying different environmental design standards: the social housing being built to a greener agenda than the private housing. This means that the required proportion of affordable housing, typically 30-40% has to be provided separately, thus losing economies of scale and risking demarcating the social housing.
Rural form of Cambourne housing
Ecohouses at Cambourne
Greenspace at Cambourne
People and community
The local papers report problems with youths and loneliness. But the crime figures are lower than other parts of the region and parents think it is much safer for children and allow them greater independence in walking to school and playing out. Cambourne attracts young people from surrounding villages and they hang around. But the young people are out in the open air, socialising with their peers, and as long as they don’t commit a crime why should we be so worried. Some people find Cambourne lonely, and on weekdays it does seem deserted.Key services must be in place from the beginning before people arrive and the various agencies need to meet regularly to co-ordinate their efforts in providing help. On the other hand people are more ready to make friends in a new place and for joiners there is plenty going on. A new settlement needs a place, like a community hall, for people to meet from very early on. It also needs more informal meeting places like pubs and a café.
There is a high turnover of people in a new settlement and we need to be realistic about time scales and perhaps wait twenty years or so to judge Cambourne in terms of community well being. Social mix and social housing It is most important to avoid creating ghettos of affordable housing.
Some people I spoke to expressed doubts about the large block of 71 houses north of the shopping centre at Smithy Way. Clearly this is a big issue in settlements with over 30% social housing and I’m not sure that it has been resolved satisfactorily. The social housing, for various reasons, arrived later than the private housing and this caused resentment. Wherever possible it would be sensible to phase the development of the private and social housing in tandem and to inform prospective residents of the scale and disposition of the social rented housing before they arrive.
School and services
Facilities such as shops, places to meet and sports facilities came later than the houses and this can cause frustration and resentment. The schools have very good reputations and this has been a strong selling point. But the demand for primary school places was much higher than expected and three schools will be needed.
Cambourne is too small to justify a secondary school, so children go to Comberton Village College, over seven miles away. Unfortunately Comberton is full so new children have to come into Cambridge. Clearly there is less happening in Cambourne than in Cambridge. On the other hand there are more facilities and social activities than in most villages. Cambourne is a good place for young children to play and for young families to settle. There are many clubs and societies. So, for some people it offers a lot.
Employment and transport
The lack of local employment opportunities and the need to travel to work by car are the key issues in Cambourne’s failure to be ‘sustainable’. But the business park and shopping centre are less than half finished and local employment opportunities will increase with time as the settlement grows. There is a regular bus service to Cambridge and a train service from St Neots for people commuting to London.
But people in Cambourne are still very car dependent. At first sight it would seem sensible to locate all new settlements near main-line railway stations. But only a small proportion of people travel to work in London. Live-work and business starter units may need subsidising to woo new businesses from cheaper accommodation in neighbouring villages. The units also lack scope for adaptation and expansion. As mentioned earlier, cycle routes and footpaths out of Cambourne are not well provided. However, once work on the new A428 is finished the old road may provide a safe cycle way and fast bus lane to Cambridge.
Planning and development process
When compared with the New Town development corporations the current process of procuring new settlements using Section 106 agreements seems cumbersome. But people have made it work in Cambourne. There is a case for retaining architects to oversee the design and procurement process and to try to ensure higher quality design of civic buildings. However, the landscape planners delivered a very high quality green environment that many appreciate.
Evaluation 1: Masterplan objectives
Two quantitative methods were used to evaluate Cambourne. The first was in terms of the objectives outlined in the masterplan. Some of the vision of the original masterplan has been achieved. In particular Cambourne is rated highly in terms of the plan’s ecological objectives and rural character. But it does badly in terms of energy and renewables and, because facilities were late in arriving, it scores badly on community. Nor is it a village as was originally conceived. And isn’t big enough to be a town. It is in fact a new hybrid – an ‘exurb’.
Evaluation 2: Inspire East’s excellence criteria
InspireEast asked me to use their Excellence Framework, which is similar to Egan’s sustainability wheel, which tries to take a holistic view of sustainability. Cambourne does best in terms of three criteria: Equity, Housing and Environment. It does badly in terms of Economic criteria.
People think that the lack of local jobs and a thriving local economy are currently Cambourne’s main shortcomings. Comparison with local settlements What is clear is that Cambourne is similar in terms of life styles and transport to the rest of South Cambridgeshire. And the homes, which are all built to current building regulations or better, are much more energy efficient than most homes in established villages.
If we compare Cambourne with Bar Hill, the other new settlement in the region built in the late sixties, the first thing that strikes you is that the design of the houses, the architecture of the business park, the road layout and green areas are much better in Cambourne than in Bar Hill. Bar Hill has, however, got time on its side and there is a strong sense of community.
In time Cambourne will settle in a similar way and it is likely to be a popular place to live. Comparison with local new development Accordia, designed by Fielden Clegg, in contrast to Cambourne, is architectural. There has been a lot of new development in Cambridge. The main difference is that new housing in Cambridge will be nearer jobs and services than housing in Cambourne can ever be.
But Cambourne has significantly enhanced the ecology and biodiversity of the site. A key to the success of the green space is that the local Wildlife Trust is responsible for maintenance and is based in Cambourne. There is local food production in the two allotments and, being an exposed and windy site, there is the potential for local power generation.
Assessment of Cambourne
Positive
Cambourne is in some ways a unique type of settlement. This aerial photograph shows that it is neither a village nor a suburb. The spine road is narrow and winds around. This encourages people to use pedestrian short cuts. For example, there is a path to the shops on the edge of these woods. Although the gardens are small there is room to expand.
Perhaps most significantly the volume house builders have adapted their standard catalogue to create something more interesting. And remember that most housing in Britain isn’t architectural, it’s spec built vernacular. The vision of the masterplanners was to create a village environment with the facilities of a small town. In many ways Cambourne delivers this promise. You can get to the city fairly easily and you have nice countryside within walking distance. You are relatively close to main line railway stations.
It is less congested than Cambridge and there is less pollution and better air-quality than in the city. It is quieter and there is a better sense of community. Despite the bad press, there is less crime and less antisocial behaviour. It is perceived as a safe place to bring up a family and young children seem to be given more freedom and independence than in Cambridge or established villages. Houses are cheaper, there is more choice and the houses are new.
Above all people really appreciate the green space and lakes that have been incorporated into the built form.
Negative
But Cambourne can feel isolated, especially for those without children who have less opportunity to make friends or for those who find mixing more difficult. There is an obvious lack of history, a continuity of generations and a sense of belonging. There is less choice of shops; fewer public transport options and facilities were late in arriving.
The key issue in new settlements is the lack of local employment opportunities. In today’s highly mobile labour market, many people chose to work a long way away from where they live. But more local job opportunities in new settlements would reduce travel distance to work.
Final thoughts
In Cambourne, the masterplanners imagined sustainability as the big idea that would provide this sense of purpose. And the traditional character of the English village, it was imagined, would give the settlement its image and identity. But Cambourne is no more sustainable, in any real sense, than other parts of the region and Cambourne is an urban community divorced from its surrounding countryside.
This key finding casts considerable doubt on plans for carbon neutral eco-towns. Although it would certainly be possible to make the housing more energy efficient and to generate power locally, much of the carbon emitted by a community depends on life-style choices and behaviour. And it is unrealistic to suppose that the majority of new residents will either work locally or give up wanting to use their cars.
Further information
A six page executive summary and a copy of the full 60 page report can be downloaded as pdfs from the Inspire East website.
Dr Stephen Platt is Chairman of Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd and Associate
Professor at School of Built Environment, Nottingham University.
Cambridge Architectural Research Limited, 25 Gwydir Street, Unit 6 Cambridge CB1 2LG
Tel: 01223 460475
Email steve@carltd.com
