To the Leadership and Members of Huntingdonshire District Council, 

We are writing as a coalition of local organisations, parish groups and community representatives who share a common concern: that the Local Plan is progressing beyond Regulation 18 without the evidence base required to make sound, sustainable decisions for the district. 

Over recent months, concern about the emerging Local Plan has accelerated. More than 30 groups - spanning towns, villages and parishes across Huntingdonshire, and together reflecting a very large share of the district’s electorate - have begun coordinating, comparing evidence and assessing the potential impacts for their communities. The breadth and speed of that mobilisation is significant, and it underlines just how seriously residents and local organisations are taking the gaps in the current evidence base. 

Our purpose is not to oppose growth, nor to challenge the Council’s ambition for the district. It is to ensure that decisions of this scale are grounded in robust evidence, transparent assumptions and a realistic understanding of infrastructure, water, transport, environmental constraints and cumulative impact. 

This concern is particularly acute where multiple large allocations depend upon the same transport network, wastewater treatment works, water resources and public services. Communities are increasingly concerned that cumulative impacts have not yet been fully modelled or understood. This includes the significant commercial development proposed across the North Huntingdon area, much of it freight-intensive and dependent on the same transport, water and environmental infrastructure as the major housing allocations. 

At present, key elements of that evidence base remain incomplete or unavailable. These gaps cut across the whole plan and cannot be resolved through site-specific consultations. Outstanding work includes cumulative transport modelling, wastewater and water resource assessments, infrastructure delivery planning, service capacity analysis and the testing of reasonable alternatives. These issues affect communities across the district and cannot be considered solely on a site-by-site basis. This is not a criticism of officers or members; it is a recognition of the complexity of the task and the importance of getting it right.  

Recent public statements from the Council indicate that the next consultation will now take place in September 2026. However, it is not yet clear whether this will be a further Regulation 18 consultation - where material changes can still be made - or a Regulation 19 consultation focused solely on legal compliance and soundness. Progressing to Regulation 19 before the full evidence base is available would limit the ability of residents, infrastructure providers and statutory bodies to meaningfully influence the Plan. 

We are therefore formally requesting that the Council pauses the current Local Plan timeline at Regulation 18, to allow for a full review, reflection and refresh of the evidence base before any further decisions are taken. 

A pause is not a setback. It is an opportunity: 

• to ensure the Plan is resilient, defensible and deliverable 

• to avoid costly revisions later 

• to rebuild public confidence in the process 

• to demonstrate that the Council is committed to evidence-led planning, not predetermined outcomes

 We want to be clear that we are not simply asking the Council to “do more”. Many of the organisations involved in this emerging coalition have expertise, data, lived experience and local insight that could help fill the current gaps. We would welcome the chance to contribute constructively, whether through sharing evidence, participating in workshops, or supporting more effective community engagement. 

We also note the Government’s recent guidance on the new Local Plan process, which offers a more structured, evidence-driven and iterative approach than the legacy system currently being followed. If the December 2026 submission deadline cannot be met without compromising the quality of the Plan, there is a strong case for considering a transition to the new process, which may ultimately produce a more robust and sustainable outcome for Huntingdonshire. 

Our shared aim is a Local Plan that works: for residents, for the environment, for infrastructure providers, for the Council, and for the long-term future of Huntingdonshire. 

A short pause now, at Regulation 18, to reflect and refresh the evidence, is the most responsible way to achieve that. 

We look forward to working with you. 

Yours sincerely, 

Paul Boothman 

Chair of the North Huntingdon and St Ives Cumulative Impact Group 

on behalf of the organisations and community groups engaged in the emerging Pause the Plan coalition