An extension to St Neots could provide a sustainable alternative to providing a new eco-town in Cambridgeshire, the Government will be told.

Huntingdonshire District Council, together with Cambridgeshire Horizons and the other Cambridgeshire local authorities have consistently argued against the eco-towns proposed in the county.

However, right from the moment the Government issued its eco-town prospectus, Huntingdonshire District Council has worked with Cambridgeshire Horizons to put forward better alternatives to meet the acknowledged need for more housing within Cambridgeshire.

In particular, Huntingdonshire has suggested to the Government that a sustainable urban extension to St Neots, comprising around 5000 homes, with related employment opportunities and community facilities, could be brought forward with low-carbon and quality standards similar to those envisaged for eco-towns. The St Neots proposals are in line with the key directions for growth outlined in the Council’s emerging Core Strategy.

In order to deal with shortfalls in both market and affordable housing, Huntingdonshire is already building above the targets set for it in Regional Plans and is now promoting innovative policies and proposals to address these needs and take the District forward to 2021 and beyond, in line with its ambitious Planning and Environmental Strategies.

The advantages of the St Neots proposal are that:

- It can be promoted quickly, as part of the already emerging planning framework;
- it will help to make the existing market town of St Neots far more sustainable in itself;
- as an urban extension to an existing market town with employment options within, and rail and bus connections to other urban centres, residents need be less reliant on the private car for journeys to access work or leisure opportunities;
- it can  take advantage of a unique opportunity to make practical use of  sustainable energy solutions, and
- it will enhance rather than  detract from the on-going ambitious proposals for further growth in and around Cambridge.

Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire Horizons believe that, if properly implemented, this model for sustainable growth may fit other market towns in Cambridgeshire, such as Ely, in line with the general approach to growth in Cambridgeshire set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy. Cambridgeshire Horizons is working with both authorities to bring these proposals forward. However, the Authorities and Horizons are making it clear to the Government that direct support is needed to make these plans a reality. With so many eco-town proposals already falling by the wayside, the partners argue that there is a real opportunity to promote deliverable and sustainable growth options like St Neots and Ely, through the plan-led system, rather than the unsuitable, unsustainable and unpopular proposals for Hanley Grange. We are now calling  on the Government to respond positively to these proposals.

Councillor Ian Bates, Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council said: "My Council has an excellent record of accepting growth but it is vital to ensure that growth is planned in way which enhances existing places. We believe our emerging and exciting proposals for St Neots have the potential to do just that if we are given the right support, especially from Central Government"

Alex Plant, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Horizons added “We desperately need additional housing in Cambridgeshire to meet the needs of our growing population. Our shared strategy for that housing growth is to achieve the highest possible standards in terms of design quality and environmental performance, with additional community facilities and green space. We also want new developments to be in the right place, well-connected to existing urban centres and able to access jobs to match the housing, and take advantage of retail and leisure facilities to enhance the quality of life for existing and new residents.
The proposals for St Neots promise to be an exciting and important part of our planned growth.”