Cambridge residents face final deadline for local growth plan

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-03 11:30 3 min read

People gather in the historic Market Square of Cambridge, UK at dusk.

A free online webinar on the Greater Cambridge Local Plan will take place at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 4 August 2026. It is intended for residents, businesses and organisations that want to understand the final consultation and ask questions about taking part. Registration is required through the official Greater Cambridge Local Plan webpage.

The session comes at the start of the last public consultation before the plan is submitted to the Government and examined by an independent Planning Inspector. The consultation closes on Friday, 25 September 2026.

Join the Greater Cambridge consultation webinar

Date: Tuesday, 4 August 2026
Time: 5:30pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free
Booking: Registration is required through the Greater Cambridge Local Plan webpage

Cambridge City Council says the webinar will provide information about the plan and give participants an opportunity to ask questions. It is the first of several engagement events planned during the consultation, including 14 in-person exhibitions across Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

No webinar end time is included in the published event information. Details of the wider programme and the registration route are available through the councils’ Local Plan webpage.

Cambridge residents face final deadline for local growth plan

What this final consultation is asking residents to consider

This stage is narrower than earlier rounds of public engagement. Responses need to address whether the Proposed Submission version of the plan is “sound” and meets national planning requirements. In practical terms, that means considering whether its policies are justified by evidence, effective in achieving their objectives, deliverable and consistent with national planning policy.

The plan has been prepared jointly by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. It will guide how Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire grow over the next 20 years, influencing the locations of new homes, jobs and community facilities, as well as how infrastructure and development support that growth.

Current forecasts cited by the councils indicate that around 50,000 new homes will be needed between 2024 and 2045. Approximately 37,000 are already planned through existing permissions and allocations. The plan also addresses transport links, services, green spaces and utilities alongside housing, while reflecting constraints involving water supply and future infrastructure.

More than 8,400 comments were submitted during the previous consultation. According to the councils, that feedback prompted further work and helped refine policies and proposals in the version now under consultation.

How to review the plan and submit comments

The Greater Cambridge Local Plan webpage provides the plan documents, the route for submitting comments and details of consultation events. People who cannot or do not wish to review the documents online can find paper copies at the councils’ offices in Cambridge and Cambourne, Cambridge Central Library and Cambourne Library.

Comments must be submitted during the consultation period, which ends on Friday, 25 September 2026. After this stage, the plan and its supporting evidence will be sent to the Government for independent examination by a Planning Inspector.

Source: Cambridge City Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Verified Local Notice

This event preview is based on the official consultation announcement published by the Cambridge City Council.

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