East Cambridgeshire Planning Consultant
Cathedral city, fen edge and racing country
East Cambridgeshire District Council decides applications under a Local Plan first adopted in April 2015 and updated in October 2023. With work on a replacement plan paused, that document and its GROWTH, HOU, ENV and EMP policies will shape decisions in Ely, Soham, Littleport and the villages for some time yet.
Cedar Planning is a Chartered Town Planning practice led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. We are based in Norfolk, work across East Anglia and deal regularly with Cambridgeshire councils, arranging site visits whenever a project needs them.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Working with the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan
The adopted plan dates from April 2015. In October 2023 the council adopted a Single Issue Review that replaced the housing requirement in Policy GROWTH 1 with a figure of 5,400 homes for 2022 to 2031, based on the government's standard method. The rest of the plan, including its development envelopes and site allocations, was carried forward largely unchanged.
In February 2025 the council decided not to press ahead with a full new Local Plan. It pointed to local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire, expected changes to the national plan-making system and the number of homes already coming forward within existing allocations. For applicants, that means the 2015 plan remains the starting point for every decision, read alongside the current NPPF.
Ely is the largest settlement and the focus of growth, including the large North Ely expansion. Soham and Littleport are the other market towns, and Soham regained a railway station in 2021. Below them sit larger villages such as Bottisham, Burwell, Haddenham and Sutton, with smaller villages and open fen beyond.
The district's December 2025 land supply report, covering April 2025 to March 2030, concludes that the council can show more than five years' worth of deliverable housing land. Schemes outside the envelopes therefore need to rely on the plan's own exceptions rather than on a supply shortfall.
Community-led schemes have their own policy route
Policy GROWTH 6 allows community-led development on the edge of towns and villages, and the council lists eleven Community Land Trusts in the district, from Haddenham to Swaffham Prior. For a landowner, partnering with a CLT can open a site that would otherwise fail GROWTH 2.
East Cambridgeshire planning issues to plan for
Policy GROWTH 2 directs most new building to land inside settlement envelopes and restricts the countryside to named exceptions, such as rural exception housing, rural workers' dwellings and certain tourism and employment uses.
Ely Cathedral dominates the skyline for miles. Council evidence identifies eight 'quintessential views' of it, from approaches such as the A10 near Stretham and the A142 at Stuntney, and tall or bulky schemes on those routes attract close scrutiny.
Much of the district north and west of Ely, around Littleport and towards the Ouse Washes, is drained fen. Policy ENV 8 applies the sequential test and requires drainage that does not add to flood risk elsewhere.
The south-east of the district borders Newmarket and contains studs, training yards and paddocks. Policy EMP 5 covers equine development, and EMP 6 resists proposals that would harm the horse racing industry or its land.
Planning services across East Cambridgeshire
Every commission starts with a review of the site against the 2015 plan and any made neighbourhood plan, so you know where the risks lie before you spend money on drawings.
Planning Applications
Full and outline applications for homes, commercial space and equine buildings, prepared to answer GROWTH 2, ENV 2 design and the specific settlement policies for Ely, Soham, Littleport or the village concerned.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Ely, Soham and many villages have conservation areas and listed buildings. We assess significance and impact under Policies ENV 11 and ENV 12, including effects on views of the cathedral where they arise.
View serviceRural Planning
Barn conversions, rural workers' dwellings under HOU 5, replacement dwellings under HOU 8 and farm diversification under EMP 2 to EMP 4. We know where the countryside policies give room and where they do not.
View serviceClass Q Barn Conversions
Former agricultural buildings on the fen and in the chalk villages can often be converted under permitted development. We check the building, its access and flood risk before a prior approval is lodged.
View serviceSequential Test Reports
Where a site lies in Flood Zone 2 or 3, we prepare a sequential test with a defensible search area and a clear audit of alternative sites, supporting the flood risk assessment under ENV 8.
View serviceFeasibility Studies
Before you buy or promote land near Ely, Burwell or the Newmarket fringe, we set out the policy position, the constraints and a realistic view of what could be approved.
View serviceThe policies that decide East Cambridgeshire applications
Most decisions turn on a handful of policies. GROWTH 2 sets the locational strategy. ENV 1 protects landscape and settlement character, which matters on open fen where development can be seen from far away. ENV 2 sets design expectations, and COM 7 and COM 8 deal with transport impact and parking. Housing schemes also meet HOU 1 on mix and HOU 3 on affordable housing.
The district charges the Community Infrastructure Levy. Its charging schedule took effect on 1 February 2013 and applies to all new dwellings and to most other new floorspace of 100 square metres or more. We flag CIL liability and the relief forms early, because missed paperwork before commencement can remove an exemption.
A small part of the south-west of the district falls within the Cambridge Green Belt, where Policy ENV 10 and national Green Belt policy apply. Elsewhere, the three internationally important wildlife sites of Wicken Fen, Chippenham Fen and the Ouse Washes shape what is possible nearby, through Policy ENV 7 on biodiversity.
Key policy areas we navigate
GROWTH 6 permits community-backed schemes adjoining settlements. The council's Community-Led Development SPD from 2016 explains how groups demonstrate local support and long-term community benefit.
HOU 4 exception sites, HOU 5 rural workers' dwellings and HOU 8 extensions and replacement dwellings each carry detailed tests on need, size and siting.
ENV 11 to ENV 16 cover conservation areas, listed buildings, the local register, archaeology, historic parks and gardens and enabling development. Ely's historic core draws on all of them.
EMP 7 to EMP 9 deal with visitor attractions, holiday accommodation and occupancy conditions, while EMP 5 and EMP 6 cover stables, studs and the racing industry around Newmarket.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Because the plan is over a decade old in its core, officers rely heavily on the NPPF where the local policies are silent, and the balance between the two can decide a marginal case. Advice at the outset helps you frame an application around the policies that carry weight.
We are frank about prospects. If a site sits outside an envelope with no credible exception, we will say so and suggest a better use of your budget, such as promotion through a future plan.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across Cambridgeshire
We cover every council area in Cambridgeshire. See our main Cambridgeshire planning consultant page. If your application has been refused, see our East Cambridgeshire planning appeal page.
East Cambridgeshire Planning FAQs
Is East Cambridgeshire preparing a new Local Plan?
Not at present. In February 2025 the council paused work on a new plan, citing local government reorganisation and national reforms. The 2015 plan, as amended in 2023, remains the development plan. Landowners who want sites considered in future should keep evidence ready for the next plan consultation.
Can the council show a five-year housing land supply?
Yes. Its December 2025 report, covering April 2025 to March 2030, states that the district has more than five years' deliverable supply. That means the tilted balance in the NPPF is not engaged on supply grounds, so a site outside a development envelope needs a policy route of its own.
How does a Community Land Trust scheme get permission?
Through Policy GROWTH 6 and the Community-Led Development SPD. The scheme must be led by or have clear support from the local community, sit on the edge of a settlement and deliver lasting local benefit. The council also offers advice and small start-up grants to CLT groups.
Will a new building in Ely be judged against views of the cathedral?
It can be. The council's evidence identifies eight key approaches from which the cathedral is best seen. Larger schemes on or near those routes should include visual evidence, and development in the city centre will also be tested against the Ely Conservation Area under ENV 11.
I own land near Newmarket. What should I watch for?
Policy EMP 6 protects the horse racing industry, including studs, training establishments and the land they rely on. Proposals that would cause the loss of racing land, or create conflicts such as traffic near horse walks, face resistance. A feasibility study is a sensible first step.
My village site is in Flood Zone 3. Can it be developed?
Possibly, but the sequential test must be passed first, showing no reasonably available sites at lower risk. The exception test may then apply. The fen villages and Littleport area need particular care, and Internal Drainage Board consent can also be required for work near watercourses.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
If you are planning a project in Ely, Soham or the surrounding fen villages, book a free 15-minute call or read our guide on pre-application advice before you apply.