Integrated Development Programme

The Integrated Development Programme (IDP) is a crucial piece of infrastructure planning work. It considers the goals for Cambridgeshire's growth agenda, including housing and employment, and identifies the individual strategic infrastructure projects needed to deliver them.

The process

Cambridgeshire Horizons has created the IDP with the support of GCP and EEDA, and feedback from the Cambridgeshire Local Authorities throughout the process to ensure the local details are exactly right. The final version has been endorsed by Councilors representing each of the six Local Authorities, and approved by the Cambridgeshire Horizons Board on 9th December 2009.

The purpose

The IDP's principle purpose is to set out infrastructure projects of sub-regional scale within Cambridgeshire. These projects are strategic in nature, having greater than district-level impact. Local infrastructure needs, such as primary education and small-scale community facilities, are not considered in the IDP. These local projects are (or will be) set out in Local Infrastructure Plans produced by each Local Planning Authority. Regional and national-scale projects are also identified within the IDP and referenced, as these may have impacts on growth in Cambridgeshire. However such projects will require central government funding.

IDPs were initially suggested by EEDA to inform the Joint Implementation Plan for the Regional Spatial Strategy and Regional Economic Strategy at a sub-regional level, and to help forge stronger connections between the economic and housing ambitions for each sub-region.

We are also using our IDP as an evidence base on sub-regional infrastructure needs, which will have wider usefulness when seeking funding. In particular, the IDP could act as part of the supporting information for a system of standard charges applying to new development to fund infrastructure, such as a variable tariff. More information on tariff work can be found here.

The final version of the IDP can be downloaded here. Please note: The IDP is a large document, therefore it has an Executive Summary at the start.

The IDP will be reviewed with help from Local Authority partners, probably on an annual basis, to ensure that it stays up to date.