Cam Valley Forum   |
The Cam Valley Forum was set up in response to concerns about the future of the River Cam and its tributaries in the face of pressure on the Cambridge area from planned future development.
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The river brings an almost continuous green corridor through the heart of Cambridge and provides links out into the countryside.![]() © Christine Jennings | |||||||||||||
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Pollution concern at Hauxton The riverside site, previously occupied by Bayer Crop Sciences, is heavily polluted with chemicals left behind by successive agro-chemical firms. Pollution has leaked into the river and onto adjoining land, and a more serious problem threatens as a benthamite wall (built to retain the pollutants) is coming to the end of its useful life. The forum raised objections to recent planning applications relating to this site: one to demolish the buildings and clean-up the pollution, and the other to develop the site with housing and light industry. Permission has now been given for the remediation of the site, subject to many conditions, but we remain concerned that the district council does not have the expertise to monitor that the process is carried out effectively. We are also anxious that, if planning permission is given to develop this site with housing and light industry, development should not begin until the whole site has been cleaned up. If you share our concern we suggest you contact a South Cambridgeshire District councillor. | ||||||||||||||
![]() © Christine Jennings For centuries the river's low lying wet meadows have provided valuable flood protection for the city. |
![]() © John Green Although parts of the riverside are carefully protected and managed, in recent years much of its wildlife value has been lost with intensive farming and the fragmentation of semi-natural habitats. | |||||||||||||
The Cambridge area is now under pressure to accommodate considerable growth of housing and employment. It is vital that this growth respects the character of the riverscape setting. The best features must be protected, and conditions improved for wildlife to flourish and for people to enjoy the river and its environs. © Christine Jennings | ||||||||||||||
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