When planning applications are made, the Parish Council is allowed to comment and asked to express approval, objection (with reasons) or express no recommendation. These comments are passed on to the South Cambridge District Council planning authority who make the final decision. Planning comments are usually needed within a couple of weeks of the application being registered. An extraordinary meeting will be held if the usual monthly meeting is not soon enough.

If you are applying for planning permission, you may find it worthwhile attending the Parish Council meeting where your application is to be considered. Presenting a brief summary of your application during the open session is useful in order to answer any questions the Council may have. Similarly, if you support or have any objections to local planning applications then you can write to the South Cambs planning authority. You may also want to attend the relevant Parish Council meeting or write to the Parish Clerk before the meeting if you feel you may be able to get support from the Parish Council or wish to bring something to their attention.

South Cambs Planning Authority link

South Cambs planning application search link

Local Development Framework (LDF) map for Coton and key- includes conservation area, flood plain and greenbelt boundaries

Other South Cambs LDF maps link

South Cambs Local Development Framework documents link

Planning Constraints

Coton lies in the Cambridge Green Belt and in the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands Landscape Character Area and Weat Anglian Plain Natural Area. The centre of the village and its setting to the south, where open fields and fine agricultural buildings form an important entrance to the village, is covered by a Conservation Area designated in 1978 and extended in November 1988.

In the lists of Listed Buildings published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there are one Grade I, and 11 Grade II buildings. These lists are not finite. There are Sites of Archaelogical Interest.

Planning Policies (as of 2004 Local Plan - this has now been superceded by the Local Development Framework)

The village is constrained by the Green Belt and there is a need to maintain the rural character of the Conservation Area in the centre of the village and its setting. The Green Belt boundary defines most of the built-up framework.

However, north of Whitwell Way the framework has been drawn to exclude the playing area adjacent to the school buildings and the 'Grays' site with its low density commercial use. These areas form part of the open land to the north of Whitwell Way. The development on the north side of the Footpath stretches away from the main body of the village and is only one plot in depth. The District Council will resist further consolidation here through backland development in order to prevent a greater instrusion into the open countryside at this sensitive point between the village and Cambridge. Infilling may be permitted elsewhere in the village where development can be accomodated without adverse impact on local amenity and other planning considerations.

Any proposed new building will have to be sympathetically designed and sited in order to protect the existing Listed Buildings and qualities of the Conservation Area.