Stakeholders' Workshop: Northstowe and Cambridge East
12 Sep 2005, New Hall, Cambridge

The key aim of the workshop was to get feedback from participants on four alternative models of neighbourhood design prepared by the SOLUTIONS team for these areas.

Participants helped evaluate the local design scenarios for the areas concerned with the focus of evaluation on two criteria: feasibility and acceptability.

Feasibility: The ability of the market and institutional investors to deliver the plan, particularly in relation to retail, commercial and infrastructure elements.

Acceptability: A judgement of the degree to which the public and local politicians could be persuaded to back the plan.

There were two separate sessions for Northstowe and Cambridge East. Each session had an introduction session, working group sessions in two parallel groups, and a plenary session to exchange results and draw conclusions. The assessment was structured using a technique called Sustainability Threshold Analysis (STA).

Around 20 local stakeholders representing a wide range of interests and views participated which included representatives from the local planning authorities, councillors, civic societies, developers, landowners, statutory bodies, local interest groups, and others.