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1© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
547GEOACTIVE Extension
Pressures and conflicts in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringeBy Mike Morrish
A case study about pressures on land use surrounding a major cityThis unit covers the features of the rural-urban fringe and
the factors that influence its land use pattern. It explains
how some countryside land is protected by designation as
‘green belt’. When decisions are made about future
developments, different sites are often considered. Some
may be on ‘greenfield’ land, others in ‘brownfield’
locations.
Cambridge is used as an example of the pressures exerted
by a growing city on the countryside that surrounds it.
The rise in Cambridgeshire’s population has created a high
demand for new housing, including social or ‘affordable’
homes for local people. The council is planning the
construction of large areas of housing over the next 15
years, much of it in the city’s rural-urban fringe. It may
take the form of new towns and villages, or estates added
to existing settlements.
These proposed developments can meet a hostile response
from residents of the areas affected, who fear that their
quality of life may be reduced. There are also conflicts over
other land use changes in the countryside, such as the
introduction of wind farms, solar energy installations and
biogas production plants. The loss of farmland and open
spaces is a major issue for people who have chosen to live
in rural Cambridgeshire because of its natural beauty and
attractive environment. Increases in traffic flows are
another concern.
Key vocabularyrural-urban fringe, land use, green belt, urban sprawl, greenfield land, brownfield land, housing development, local plan
Learning outcomeIn this unit you will:
• learn about the features of the countryside that
surrounds a major city
• learn how the growth of Cambridge is putting pressure
on land in its rural-urban fringe
• understand how this can cause conflict between
competing land uses and residents of the area.
Relevance to specificationsExam board
Link to specification
AQA A Unit 2: Human Geography, Section A, Changing Urban Environments, page 17
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-9030-W-SP-14.PDF
AQA B Unit 1: Managing Places in the 21st Century, The Urban Environment, pages 10–12
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-9035-W-SP-14.PDF
Edexcel A Unit 3: The Human Environment, Section A, The Human World, Topic 2, Settlement Change, page 33
http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/ GCSE%20New%20GCSE/9781446911907_GCSE_Lin_Geog_A_Issue_5.pdf
Edexcel B Unit 2: People and the Planet, Section B, Small-scale People and the Planet, Topic 6, Changing Settlements in the UK, page 28
http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCSE%20New%20GCSE/9781446911914_GCSE_Lin_Geog_B_Issue_5.pdf
OCR A Unit A731: Contemporary Themes in Geography, Similarities and Differences in Settlement and Population, page 20
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82576-specification.pdf
OCR B Unit B563: Key Geographical Themes, Theme 2: Population and Settlement, page 14
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82581-specification.pdf
WJEC B Unit 1: Challenges and Interactions in Geography, Theme 1: Challenges of Living in a Built Environment, page 17
http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/17213.pdf
CCEA Unit 2: Living in Our World, Theme A: People and Where they Live, page 16; a copy of the specification can be downloaded from:
http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/geography/gcse/index.asp
Cambridge IGCSE
Theme 1: Population and Settlement, pages 13 and 14
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/150857-2016-syllabus.pdf
Edexcel IGCSE
Section B, People and their Environments, Topic 6, Urban Environments, page 12
https://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/IGCSE%20New%20IGCSE/IGCSE2009_Geography_(4GE0)_Specification.pdf
2© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
GEOACTIVE Extension ● 547
Pressures and conflicts in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringeThe rural-urban fringe is the
countryside surrounding the edge of
a city’s built-up area. It is a transition
zone between the urban
environment of the city and areas
that are predominantly rural in
character. In between these two
extremes there is a gradual change
in the pattern of land use, with
urban settlements and functions
giving way to agricultural activities
and open space. It is best thought of
as a ‘continuum’, in which the
influence of the city declines as
distance from it increases. There is a
corresponding fall in population
density away from the city, while
the number and range of services
available are also reduced. If the city
is growing, the rural-urban fringe
will change over time and land use
patterns within it will reflect the
greater influence of the city.
Figure 1 shows how the landscape
of the rural-urban fringe is affected
by four main factors:
1. The urban economy
2. The agricultural economy
3. Agricultural policy
4. Countryside planning.
Land useIt is also possible to classify the
rural-urban fringe in terms of the
land uses that are found in it. Most
land uses fall into one of the
following main categories:
● Services ● Transport
● Recreation ● Industry
● Agriculture
● Housing/residential
● Conservation areas
● Public utilities
● Energy generation
● Mineral extraction
By studying specific examples of
land use in an area it can indicate
in which part of the rural-urban
continuum it is situated (Figure 2).
For example:
● Extreme non-rural: hospitals,
industrial estates, car sales
● Intermediate non-rural:
commuter settlements, farm
shops, equestrian centres
● Intermediate rural: villages, post
offices, local stores
● Extreme rural: isolated farms,
open spaces, few services, postbox.
Figure 2 Land use transect along the A10 between Cambridge and Royston
Green beltsMany large English cities have a
ring of countryside around their
edge which, as a designated green
belt, is protected from urban sprawl
and inappropriate development.
The first, and largest, was
established around London in 1935.
Now, green belts represent about
12% of England’s land surface – a
SECTOR 1
DISTURBEDLANDSCAPES(urbanising)
SECTOR 4
VALUEDLANDSCAPES
(traditional farming)
SECTOR 2
WEAK
STR
ON
G
NEGLECTEDLANDSCAPES
(declining farming)
SECTOR 3
SIMPLIFIEDLANDSCAPES
(modern farming)
RURAL–URBANFRINGE
LANDSCAPES
AGR
ICU
LTUR
AL ECO
NO
MY
STR
ON
GW
EAK
CO
UN
TRYS
IDE
PLAN
NIN
G
WEAKSTRONG URBAN ECONOMY
WEAK STRONGAGRICULTURAL POLICY
Figure 1 Rural-urban fringe landscape types
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Pressures and conflicts in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringe ● 547
© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
GEOACTIVE Extension
similar proportion to that occupied
by urban areas. The aims of the
green belts are to:
●● stop urban sprawl
●● prevent neighbouring towns
from merging
●● preserve the character of historic
cities, e.g. Oxford, Cambridge,
York
●● provide for recreation
●● assist in urban regeneration.
However, there are common
misconceptions about green belts.
They are not immune to
development, and they can be built
on if they are classed as a ‘rural
exception’. Green belt land is not
owned by the government and the
public does not have unlimited access
to it. Although some green belt land
is naturally beautiful, much of it is
quite ordinary or even unattractive.
It is important to distinguish
between green belt, and greenfield
land which is simply land, usually
agricultural, that has not been built
on before. By contrast, brownfield
land has been previously built on
and is now available for
redevelopment. Most brownfield
sites are found in urban areas but
there are opportunities in the
countryside too, e.g. old airfields
and military barracks, abandoned
quarries and derelict industrial land.
Cambridge case studyCambridge is best known for
its university, which recently
celebrated its foundation
800 years ago. However, as well as
education, Cambridge is an
economic centre for retailing,
leisure, tourism, high-tech industry,
biotechnology and research.
Situated only 80 km north of
London, it is home to commuters
who can reach central London by
train in 45 minutes.
In the mid-19th century the
completion of a railway link to
London spurred Cambridge’s first
surge in population. Industrial
growth in food processing, milling,
brewing, precision engineering and
printing created jobs that attracted
many migrants to the city. As the
regional economy thrived,
Cambridge also grew and people
moved to the city from other parts of
the UK and abroad. In the late 20th
century, the University of Cambridge
encouraged the development of
science parks on university land,
forming a high-tech cluster that
became known as ‘Silicon Fen’.
During the past 30 years there was
a long period when planning
permission for housing was hard to
obtain, leading to an unfulfilled
demand in Cambridge and its
surroundings. In 2011 the city’s
population was over 120 000, while
Cambridgeshire as a whole reached
610 000.
Between 2012 and 2031 the county
population is predicted to expand
by 142 000, or 23%. Jobs are
booming, too. Between 2004 and
2013 Cambridge had the third
fastest employment growth in the
UK, increasing by 15.7% in a
decade. Over the same period the
city’s population rose by 12.7%.
House building is lagging behind
and there are over 8000 people on
the housing list in Cambridge. At
present 2000 affordable homes need
to be built each year to meet
demand but the number actually
constructed is running at only 1200.
No wonder, then, that Cambridge
recorded the third highest rent rises
in the UK in 2014.
Current housing developmentsA number of housing projects are
already being planned (Figure 3).
by Cambridge City Council and by
South Cambridgeshire District
Council (SCDC), which controls
most of Cambridge’s rural-urban
fringe. There are three major
schemes: Great Kneighton/
Trumpington Meadows, North West
Cambridge, and Northstowe.
1 Great Kneighton/Trumpington MeadowsThis extensive housing
development, much of which is
already completed, is on the
southern fringe of Cambridge. It is
next to the M11 junction with the
A10, a major arterial road into the
city. Great Kneighton lies to the
east and will eventually consist of
2500 homes, housing 6000 people.
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus
is immediately adjacent, a complex
comprising Addenbrooke’s Hospital
and important medical research
facilities which together employ
9000 staff. Trumpington Meadows,
under construction west of the A10,
will comprise 1200 houses, 480 of
which will be ‘affordable’. This
meets the council target of 40%
affordable dwellings per
development, ‘where viable’.
2 North West CambridgeThe University is developing this
150 ha site to provide 1500 houses
and flats for key university staff, with
an equivalent number being offered
for sale. There will be accommodation
for 2000 postgraduates, and also
housing for the elderly. The plan
includes research buildings, a primary
school, community centre, medical
facilities, shops, hotel and
supermarket. One-third of the site
will be public open space, containing
a protected SSSI.
3 NorthstoweNorthstowe is a joint promotion of
Gallagher Estates and the Homes
and Community Agency (HCA). It
will be the largest new town
development in the UK since
Milton Keynes. The aim is to build
10 000 homes over 25 years on
the site of a former airfield and
barracks. Planning permission
for the first phase of 1500 homes
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Pressures and conflicts in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringe ● 547
© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
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was given in October 2012.
Construction of the first housing
and a primary school could begin in
2015 but further development must
await the £1.5 billion upgrade of
the nearby A14 trunk road, which
will not be completed before 2020.
Planning for the futureIn summer 2011, SCDC’s Local
Development Framework was
scheduled for review and updating
to 2031. A public consultation on
the 2031 plan was launched in
summer 2012. It gave residents the
opportunity to comment on a range
of important planning issues:
●● Employment: an average of
1600 new jobs had been created
annually over the past 20 years. A
forecast of 1200 per year in future
years was made, depending on
economic conditions. How should
jobs be created?
●● Homes: current plans provided
for 14 000 new homes to be
built. It was estimated that an
additional 7000 would be needed
by 2031. Where should they go?
●● Development focus: should this
be a) on the edge of Cambridge,
b) in new towns and villages,
c) in larger existing villages or
d) a combination of all of these?
●● Green belt: should land be
released for development in this
protected area, 5– 8 km from the
city centre?
●● Village development: sites are
difficult to find in existing
villages. How can they be
identified?
●● New housing sites: opinions
were sought on locations already
selected for development.
●● Quality of life: how can the
high standards found in the
countryside and villages around
Cambridge be maintained and
enhanced?
●● Local services: how to ensure
the adequate provision of
schools, doctors’ surgeries, shops
and parks for rural settlements?
In January 2013 a second
consultation took place, in
conjunction with Cambridge City
Council, and produced the
following views from the public:
●● Development should focus on
new towns and villages, rather
than existing villages.
●● Preservation of the green belt is
important. Brownfield land
should be developed first.
●● Local services and amenities
should be delivered alongside
new homes.
●● The effects of development on
transport networks and traffic
flows are important.
By the following summer the draft
Local Plan had been completed.
This is the key document to guide
how the area will be developed to
provide new homes and jobs up to
2031. Council forecasts predict that
22 000 new jobs and 5000 extra
homes will be required by then. It
also includes other policies to
protect the unique character of the
area and ensure that it remains a
top place in the UK to live, work
and study. These policies cover
maintaining village boundaries,
providing affordable housing,
protecting local green spaces,
encouraging business growth and
ensuring that new developments
match the quality of the area.
Sources of conflictThe plans for new housing
developments are causing the most
widespread concern among residents
of the rural-urban fringe (Figure 3).
Particularly controversial are the
biggest projects: Waterbeach new
town, Bourn Airfield Development,
and the expansion of Cambourne, a
new settlement of over 3000 homes
(under construction since 1999).
There are also plans for small
affordable housing estates, provided
by housing associations for rent or in
shared ownership schemes. Three
such developments already exist in
Figure 3 Planned housing developments in the Cambridge area
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Pressures and conflicts in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringe ● 547
© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
GEOACTIVE Extension
Barrington and Shepreth (Figure 4).
In 2014 speculative planning
applications by property
development firms were registered
for 200 houses in Melbourn, 95
houses in Foxton, and 220 houses in
Barrington, on the site of a closed
quarry and cement works (Figure 5).
“ Plans for new housing developments cause the most widespread concern among residents of the rural-urban fringe. ”
Figure 4 Affordable housing in SheprethSource: Photo by Mike Morrish
Other changes in land use can lead
to public objections, especially when
they involve the loss of farmland or
pose threats to the local
environment and the quality of life.
Figure 6 gives details of a proposed
scheme to build a biogas plant on
farmland between Shepreth and
Meldreth (see Figure 3). This project
has faced considerable opposition
from village residents. Sometimes
new developments are welcomed by
the local community. At Shingay-
cum-Wendy, 10 km southwest of
Cambridge, the parish has supported
plans for a solar energy project on a
nearby farm. The 88 ha site could
generate enough electricity to power
11 500 homes. The firm involved,
UK Solar Provider, will pay the
village a share of the profits,
amounting to £1.25 million over 25
years. It will also establish a 200 ha
wildlife corridor around the site.
Figure 5 Proposed housing site at BarringtonSource: Photo by Mike Morrish
● Plans have been submitted to
South Cambridgeshire District
Council for an anaerobic
digestion (AD) plant on a field
between the villages of Shepreth
and Meldreth.
● AD is a series of natural
biological processes in which
organic waste material is broken
down by organisms to produce
energy, known as biogas (a CO2/
methane mixture).
● The scheme also proposes 9 m
high glasshouses for market
garden crops, a 380 kW biomass
boiler, waste storage buildings, a
vehicle shed and loading areas.
● The plant would process 5000
tonnes per year of waste
material, including manure.
● 44 journeys to and from the site would be required each day,
involving heavy goods vehicles with trailers 20 m long, using narrow
roads through the village centres.
● AD technology is well established and a good concept, but not near
residential areas.
● The plant would be a major development, with 24-hour noise, foul
smells and increased HGV traffic with poor access to main roads.
There are also risks of pollution, contamination and threats to
environmental health.
Two AD plants in the UK have exploded; others have been fined for
leaks or for breaking regulations.
Figure 6 Stop Shepreth Power Plant leaflet
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© Oxford University Press 2015 GeoActive Series 27, Issue 1, September 2015
GEOACTIVE Extension
Learning checkpoint
● The rural-urban fringe is an area of mixed land use surrounding a large city. The influence of the city on the rural-urban fringe decreases with distance from the city.
● A combination of factors influences the landscape of the rural-urban fringe, producing several distinct types of fringe. Urban land uses are replaced by agriculture and other rural activities further from the city.
● The growth of Cambridge is putting pressure on its rural-urban fringe, particularly to find space for new housing. Development can take place on greenfield and brownfield sites, but is highly restricted in the green belt.
● The planning system attempts to select the most suitable sites for development but there is often opposition from residents who want to protect the quality of their local environment.
Glossary task
Write glossary definitions for these terms:
brownfield land green belt
greenfield land housing development
land use local plan
rural-urban fringe urban sprawl
Remember this case study
To help you remember this case study, make notes under the following headings:
Factors influencing the landscape of the rural-urban fringe
Land uses associated with different parts of the rural-urban fringe
A comparison of the suitability of greenfield and brownfield land for development
Reasons for the pressure to build housing in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringe
Try to make your notes fit a single sheet of A4.
1 Explain what you understand by the term ‘rural-urban fringe’.
2 Refer to Figure 1. Copy the matrix below and complete it by entering ‘Strong’ or ‘Weak’ to indicate the influence of each factor on the different landscape types.
3 Go to the website of the ‘Save the Cambridge Green Belt’ campaign: www.greenbeltsos.org.uk What arguments does the organisation put forward? Read a selection of the comments posted on the website by members of the public. Explain why you agree or disagree with two chosen comments.
4 Refer to Figure 2. The transect shows land use along the A10 trunk road in Cambridge’s rural-urban fringe, from the city edge to the market town of Royston.
a Use the scale to calculate the transect length in kilometres.
b List all the land uses on the transect under their appropriate main land use category.
c Which type of rural-fringe landscape do you think this area belongs to? Give reasons.
d Relate this area to the rural-urban continuum by explaining whether you would classify it as ‘extreme non-rural’ or ‘intermediate non-rural’.
5 Study Figure 5. It shows a proposed development site for 220 new houses on the edge of Barrington village. The land is currently a disused quarry and closed cement works. What features of the site are (a) in favour of and (b) against its development for housing?
6 Read the leaflet ‘Stop Shepreth Power Plant’ (Figure 6). Find the location of Shepreth on Figure 3. Imagine you are a resident of Shepreth. Write a letter to your local MP (for South Cambridgeshire) explaining your views on the proposed development.
Activities
Factor/Landscape
Urban economy
Agricultural economy
Agricultural policy
Countryside planning
Disturbed Strong Weak
Neglected
Simplified
Valued