Design, heritage and environment
Design, heritage and the environment are important aspects of planning. We want to make great places for people to live, work and visit – which respect our heritage, while being sustainable for the future, including responding to the climate crisis. Greater Cambridge has an outstanding track record for high quality architecture and landscape design, and we want all new proposals to contribute to keeping our area special.
We have specific guidance on various topics which should be followed in order to develop an application which meets our policies and requirements. Our specialist officers can also give pre-application advice, including Design Workshops, which can improve proposals and help them to achieve high standards. We also operate the Greater Cambridge Design Review Panel which can provide impartial critique and support to larger or more complex proposals.
Our team also manages the Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards to celebrate outstanding design in our area.
Find out more
Please read the Cambridgeshire quality charter for growth which sets out the core principles for the level of quality to be expected in new developments.
Our adopted Local Plans, Area Action Plans and Neighbourhood Plans contain policies on many aspects of design and we expect applicants to meet their requirements.
To find out more about historic environment issues, including listed buildings and conservation areas, visit Historic environment.
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 or South Cambridgeshire biodiversity webpage.
We have now adopted a Greater Cambridge Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document. Please visit the Biodiversity SPD page for more information.
For guidance on other specialist topics, please visit the following webpages: