Selling Land in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire has five district councils, Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire, with Cambridgeshire County Council running roads and schools. Peterborough is a separate unitary council. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by an elected mayor, covers all six.

• Strong delivery almost everywhere. South Cambridgeshire delivered 148% of the homes it needed and Huntingdonshire 136%. No council in the county is below 75%.
• Cambridge itself is at 82%. That means a 20% buffer on its land supply, but the city has little open land and its growth is planned jointly with South Cambridgeshire.
• The Cambridge Green Belt. A ring of Green Belt around the city, covering 26,090 hectares in the latest government figures.
• Water is a real constraint. The Environment Agency has objected to large schemes around Cambridge because of the effect of water abstraction on chalk streams.
• No National Landscape. Cambridgeshire has none, but flood risk in the Fens does a similar job of limiting where homes can go.
• Reorganisation is undecided. In July 2026 the government delayed its decision on new unitary councils for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and said it expects to decide in the autumn.

The Cambridge Green Belt

The Cambridge Green Belt keeps the city compact and protects the countryside setting that runs right into its historic centre. It covers land in the city and much of the ring of villages around it in South Cambridgeshire. Land has been released through local plans before, for example for Eddington and the Biomedical Campus, and the new plan proposes more. Since December 2024, land that does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes can be treated as grey belt. Because protecting the setting of a historic town is one of those purposes, land close to Cambridge needs careful assessment. Our grey belt guide explains the test.

Water Supply

Cambridge sits in one of the driest parts of the country and draws much of its water from the chalk aquifer that feeds local chalk streams. Since December 2022 the Environment Agency has objected to several large housing schemes in the county over water supply. Cambridge Water and Anglian Water are planning a pipeline from Grafham Water to Cambridge and a new Fens Reservoir, which is expected to supply water from the mid to late 2030s. Until then, water is one of the main things that decides how fast growth around Cambridge can go.

Flood Risk in the Fens

Large parts of Fenland, East Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire are former wetland, drained over centuries and kept dry by pumps and internal drainage boards. The Great Ouse, Nene and Cam and the Ouse Washes all shape flood risk. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test, and in the Fens the area searched for alternative sites can be wide. Our guide to flood risk and development land explains how it works.

Heritage

Cambridge's historic centre and colleges are of international importance, and Ely and Peterborough both have medieval cathedrals. Many villages have conservation areas. Heritage usually shapes the layout and height of a scheme rather than stopping it.

Transport

The A14, A1, M11, A428, A10 and A11 carry most traffic, and the East Coast Main Line, the lines from Cambridge to London, Ely and King's Lynn, and the guided busway serve the main towns. East West Rail is planned to reach Cambridge by way of a new station at Cambourne, and its 2026 consultation included a new Cambridge East station.

With every council above 75%, the unmet need route in policy S5 does not apply anywhere in Cambridgeshire. The route to planning is usually through a local plan, and patience and good evidence matter. The main routes are:

1. Local plan allocation. The Greater Cambridge plan is at its final consultation, so new sites there will mostly wait for the next review. Huntingdonshire, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and Peterborough will all need new plans in the coming years. See our guide to call for sites and local plans.
2. Grey belt, around Cambridge. Previously developed land and fields that do little to stop sprawl or merging can qualify, subject to the Golden Rules.
3. Previously developed land. Old yards, depots and commercial sites, which national policy favours both inside and outside settlements.
4. Sites near stations. National policy now supports higher density homes within walking distance of well connected stations. Whether it applies depends on the station and its service.

In the Fens, a field in Flood Zone 1 on the edge of a town can be worth far more than its neighbours. Near Cambridge, the question is usually the Green Belt and water. Either way, a free land value review is the quickest way to find out where your land stands.