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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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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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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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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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