Ramsey Baseline Report - Masterplanning by HDCCommunications

RAMSEY HUNTINGDONSHIRE BASELINE REPORT NOVEMBER 2021

contents

Client Project name Project no. Document no. Document title Status Produced / chck’d by Date

Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) Huntingdonshire Town Investment Plans B030058 UD-10 Baseline Report - Ramsey Final EF / RK, AC 05/11/21

This document is an A3 (double sided) landscape booklet. © Tetra Tech Limited. Registered in England number: 01959704. All drawings and photographs are by Tetra Tech Ltd unless stated otherwise.

CONTENTS

purpose / 4

strategic context / 5

context / 6

INTRODUCTION

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

scope / 4

political summary / 6 vision / 6 socio-economic summary / 7

URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT

MARKET REVIEW

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

town centre context / 10

Residential market summary /22

Socio-economic case for change /24

land ownership / 11

Residential take up rates, demand & pipeline developments / 22

Long list projects / 25

photo study / 12 heritage & character /14 townscape / 16 public realm & landscape / 18

Retail market summary / 22 Office market summary / 23 Leisure market summary / 23

connectivity / 20

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introduction PURPOSE This document has been prepared by Tetra Tech, Steer Economic Development and Thomas Lister on behalf of Huntingdonshire District Council. It provides a summary of the baseline assessments which have been undertaken as the first stage in developing a masterplan and associated business case for Ramsey Town Centre. This document will inform the assembly of a long-list of development intervention options to improve the town centre. This will be undertaken in the context of Huntingdonshire District Council’s target to double GVA over the the next twenty years, with each area in the district required to contribute. The long list of potential interventions will be refined into a short-list, and subsequently a preferred delivery option for Ramsey. The process of shortlisting will be informed by this Baseline Assessment, alongside stakeholder and public consultation, costing, visbility testing and economic benefit scoring. 4

The development interventions must be deliverable and supported by a robust business case, and must crucially contribute positively to the placemaking, useability, attractiveness and connectivity of Ramsey. This Baseline Assessment provides a high level analysis of the character of the town, to inform the physical strengths and weaknesses of the place and to ensure that proposals are appropriate and in-keeping with the local character.

SCOPE This process of masterplanning and developing a business case for Ramsey builds upon an extensive body of work which has already been undertaken for the town. Most recently this has included the Vision and Briefing Paper (GHD Advisory, 2021) which incorporates findings and recommendations from the earlier Prospectus for Growth. These two documents underpin a significant part of this Baseline Assessment, alongside further policy documents, a review of which is provided in Section 3. The structure of this document includes a Context Analysis; Background and Policy Review; SocioEconomic Assessment; and Urban Design, Transport and Connectivity Assessment.

contextual analysis STRATEGIC CONTEXT Ramsey is one of the Market Towns of Huntingdonshire alongside Huntingdon, St Ives and St Neots. Located in the north of the Huntingdonshire district, Ramsey is also connected to Peterborough. The Cambridge and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) identified three broad economies within the Combined Authority Region: Greater Cambridge, Greater Peterborough and The Fens. Ramsey is most closely aligned to The Fens economy, with access to the Greater Peterborough economy and with no current links to the Greater Cambridge economy.

STRATEGIC CONTEXT PLAN >> Transport connections from Ramsey to the surrounding area primarily include narrow local roads, with some distance between the town and the A141 connecting to Huntingdon and the A1(M) providing strategic connections to the north and south including to London. Public transport connections between Ramsey and the wider district area are limited. Further information on connectivity is provided in Section 5.

Ramsey is a rural town, providing a modest hub for the surrounding hinterland including the settlements of Ramsey St Mary’s, Ramsey Forty Foot, Ramsey Heights, Wistow and Upwood. It is part of the Fenland region and is connected by water to the wider Fens area to the north and west. RAMSEY HUNTINGDONSHIRE

socio-economic assessment CONTEXT FOR SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS Huntingdonshire is a largely rural district with 4 market towns and some 70,000 homes, 170,000 residents and 8,000 businesses. It is home to the 150 hectare Alconbury Enterprise Zone. The A1(M) and East Coast Mainline run north-south through the centre of the District, with the A14 running eastwest. Huntingdonshire lies in the OxfordCambridge Arc, a globally significant economic area running from Oxfordshire to Cambridgeshire, with a vision to be the world leading place for high-value growth, innovation and productivity. It aims to be a global hub where ideas and companies are generated and thrive, home to exemplary models of 21st century development, with a high-quality environment and outstanding quality of life, and with a strong economic 6

focus that drives inclusive clean growth. Affordability of housing, infrastructure and skills are amongst the key challenges and priorities. The Local Plan to 2036 outlined plans for the development of 20,000 new homes and 14,000 new jobs in the period 20112036.

POLICY SUMMARY Ramsey’s Vision and Briefing Paper, published in May 2021, sets out its vision to be a prosperous market town focusing on creating a distinct identity, ensuring business and trade are encouraged and delivering balanced growth through connectivity and opportunities. It highlights the importance of balanced development, a focus on uplifting employment, providing better transport, and encouraging tourism through enhancing the town’s identity. Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036 identifies Ramsey as an important market town, it highlights the towns

importance as a key location for future housing and employment growth and recognises the need to boost its retail and commercial offering to support growth and prosperity. Lastly, Ramsey’s A Prospectus for Growth places emphasis on the town’s need to grow to survive, its population is ageing, and transport connections are poor. Building on the area’s strengths of heritage, waterway and community spirit are a focus going forward.

VISION Work commissioned by Huntingdonshire District Council produced the following vision for Ramsey, in May 2021:

SOCIOECONOMIC SUMMARY A fuller analysis of the Socioeconomic conditions in Ramsey and Huntingdonshire is undertaken in a separate Huntingdonshire Socioeconomic Baseline Assessment Report. A summary of the key specific findings relating to Ramsey is provided here.

PEOPLE/HUMAN CAPITAL Huntingdonshire as a whole has a lower percentage of population qualified to NVQ4+ than Cambridgeshire and England. This indicates challenges in attracting skilled workers, providing opportunities for education in the

“A PROSPEROUS MARKET TOWN IN THE HEART OF THE RURAL FENS, WITH A DISTINCT IDENTITY AND PRIDE IN ITS HERITAGE AND SETTING. A COMMUNITY WHERE BUSINESS AND TRADE ARE ENCOURAGED AND GROWTH IS BALANCED BY EXCELLENT CONNECTIVITY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, RESIDENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY.”

geography, and attracting and retaining high value employment opportunities. Whilst the percentage of the working aged population in Huntingdonshire (aged 16-64) that were economically active was above that of England and Cambridgeshire 2010-2020, it declined from 2018. In the district as a whole, employment is concentrated in more traditional sectors. 31% of employment is in public admin, education and health, but there are high relative concentrations in agriculture and construction. Although having a small employment total (3,100 in December 2020, Professional/Scientific Services and Information and communication rank in the top five of its employment sectors, indicating that there is potential here for growth in high value sectors. Deprivation around Ramsey is relatively high compared to the rest of Huntingdonshire District, and in some areas compared to England.

Deprivation is, however, unevenly spread, with the area to the south of the town ranking in the top 10% least deprived areas in England. The inequality in Ramsey is highlighted by data on Universal Credit claimants, where it has a relatively high claimant rate at 70 per 1k population. Improving connectivity between employment and housing is a priority for Ramsey.

PLACE/INFRASTRUCTURE Ramsey has low relative levels of use of train, bus, and bicycle for commuting (Table 2 1). This indicates that it is poorly connected to nearby larger towns by public transport and active transport routes, as further highlighted by high relative use of cars and vans for commuting. Creating more options for transport for residents will be important in improving employment opportunities.

Ramsey’s night-time economy is very small, with a small catchment area (c. 70% of spend in the town centre comes from people residing within 10km of the town). This was highlighted by the low level of change between spend profiles throughout the day during the COVID-19 lockdown periods . The high levels of out-commuting from Ramsey to neighbouring larger towns and Peterborough again indicates the importance of connecting the town to other employment sites. This will boost employment prospects for those residents in the town who require public transport to commute.

House prices in Ramsey are below the national average by around £90k, highlighting opportunities to attract residents under new more flexible patterns of work. However, to capitalise on this affordability and the attractive natural assets of Ramsey, digital infrastructure will need to be improved. Currently, digital connectivity in North West Cambridgeshire is relatively poor compared to the rest of Huntingdonshire and England. This is particularly important given the increasing demand for fast and reliable broadband coverage brough about by more flexible ways of working.

Table 2 1: Travel to work by method (Indexed, England = 1.00) Source: Census, 2011

BUSINESS Business growth in Huntingdonshire is sustained but below that of England, and diverged 2010-2020 (Figure 2 2). Furthermore, business survival rates at 3 years are nine percentage points (pp) behind England. This improves to a 2pp deficit for 5-year survival rate, but highlights the challenges starting businesses in the District. However, the significant and increasing number of businesses in Professional, scientific and technical activities (which increased 55% 2018-19) indicates that the high value economy in the town is showing promising signs of growth.

Figure 2 2: Business Counts, 2010-2020 (indexed at 100) Source: NOMIS: UK Business Counts, 2020

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03 KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS The knowledge economy is a provider and creator of high value employment and GVA. It relies heavily on businesses’, universities’ and peoples’ ability to commercialise and spin-out new ideas, approaches, and knowledge. A strong flow of ideas and innovation is critical to the performance of any competitive economy. As shown in Figure 2 3, in Ramsey (defined here as postcode PE26), there are four high growth businesses. Of those, three are in Wholesale and retail trade. At September 2021 there were no active business support accelerators in Ramsey. As highlighted in the Local Plan to 2036, it will be important to encourage and support businesses in high value sectors such as Health and Professional, scientific and technical activities to support longterm sustainable business growth and provide opportunities to attract high skilled workers to the Ramsey.

LOW CARBON/ SUSTAINABILITY Low carbon and sustainable development are an increasing priority for government and people at all levels. As indicated in the Local Plan to 2036, environmental challenges and opportunities exist in Huntingdonshire, and it will be important to consider these in all future developments. Huntingdonshire emits almost double the carbon emissions per capita than the national benchmark. The high use of cars for travel, is an attributable cause for emissions per capita to be substantially higher than other areas. According to the 2011 Census, 83% of households from the parliamentary constituency of North West Cambridgeshire owned a vehicle, well above the national average of 74%. This highlights the importance of encouraging public and active travel modes for work and leisure travel in Ramsey.

COVID-19 Universal Credit claims rose rapidly from March to May 2020 and have remained high throughout Huntingdonshire since, highlighting that there are still significant challenges for people looking to return to work. Google mobility data enables trends in movement to be analysed post March 2020. Significantly, in September 2021, workplace movement trends in Huntingdonshire were still down 22.6%. This data points to an opportunity. With workers now being given more flexibility to work remotely, Ramsey can capitalise on its natural assets and heritage to appeal to skilled workers looking to move away from urban centres such as Cambridge. The Action Wheel Overleaf summarises the key strengths and areas requiring action which Ramsey’s masterplan should capitalise on and address.

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urban design assessment CONTEXT Ramsey Town Centre, although relatively small, can be divided into distinct zones which demonstrate individual characteristics. The first is the northernmost part of the town centre, where Great Whyte meets St Mary’s Road and where the town connects into the Fenland watercourses and Bill Fen Marina via High Lode. This part of the town is the gateway to the Fens and is the location of the Tesco superstore, Community Centre and High Lode Industrial Estate. There are a number of former mill buildings in this area, some of which have been converted and one of which remains vacant. The second character zone is the central and southern area of Great Whyte. This is the primary retail location for smaller shops and is the location of the library and post office. Despite some attractive buildings, it is currently characterised by high

levels of parking and traffic. There are a number of cafes, some of which have opened recently and add to the activity in this location. The third character zone is High Street, running east to west along the southern edge of the town. There are a number of commercial uses including cafes, a pub, hairdressers and hot food takeaways. A number of heritage buildings have been converted. This is also the location at which the Great Whyte emerges from the culvert which runs beneath the town. The final character zone is the heritage area to the east of the town. Although the majority of the town sits within a conservation area, there are a number of notable buildings in this eastern part of the town including Ramsey Abbey House, St Thomas A Becket Church, Ramsey Abbey Gatehouse and Ramsey Abbey Walled Kitchen Garden.

LOCAL CONTEXT >>

LAND OWNERSHIP Huntingdonshire District Council hold a modest land ownership in Ramsey, primarily comprising small areas of open space adjacent to streets. The Council’s primary land holding in Ramsey is the car park at Mews Close, along with an area of scrubland adjacent to the car park and Ramsey Health Centre. Cambridgeshire County Council’s assets in the town primarily comprise of school sites including Abbey College.

LAND OWNERSHIP PLAN >> KEY

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1 11 4

PHOTO STUDY A photo study of the town centre has been undertaken to illustrate the character of the town and to identify high and low quality buildings and public spaces.

5 2

10 5

6 9 13 8

PHOTOGRAPH LOCATION PLAN >> 12

URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT

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04 HERITAGE& CHARACTER The town of Ramsey was built around Ramsey Abbey, which was founded as a hermitage by Aylwin, Duke of East Anglia. The abbey church was first built in AD 969. The abbey was dissolved in 1539 with most of the building demolished, although the gatehouse still remains. The majority of the town centre, including Great Whyte and High Street fall within Ramsey Conservation Area. The heritage buildings form a major part of the character of Ramsey, with grade I, II and II* listed buildings sited together to create a unique vernacular. As well as the buildings lining High Street and Great Whyte, Church Green and its surrounding buildings form an important historical open space in the east of the town centre, providing a setting to the Grade I listed, medieval St Thomas A Becket Church and the remains of Ramsey Abbey beyond.

The Walled Kitchen Garden, dating back to 1840, sits within the grounds of the historic Ramsey Abbey. The garden has been restored and is maintained by volunteers under the guidance of the Ramsey Abbey Walled Kitchen Garden Trust. A notable feature of the garden is the 33m Victorian style glasshouse. The garden is connected to the Ramsey rural museum and ran by volunteers. The museum has several long standing and seasonal displays. Annually a 1940’s themed weekend is held in Ramsey. The event is held at ‘The Camp’ just to the north west of the town in the location of a second world war military base.

HERITAGE & CHARACTER PLAN >> KEY

URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT

1800s

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1920s

04 TOWNSCAPE Approaching the town centre there are three clear gateways: Upwood Road / High Street, St Mary’s Road / Great Whyte, and Wood Lane. The townscape is defined by the T-shape of the two intersecting high streets, lined to the back of pavement by buildings, a number of which have a listed or heritage status. There are a small number of buildings or frontages which have not been well kept and detract from the quality of the town centre vernacular. The double-width of Great Whyte is a key characteristic of the town centre, with one side dominated by parking. There is a limited pedestrian- or cyclepriority space within the town centre.

Despite the town’s close proximity to the Fen’s network, there is a limited connection from the town centre, with limited space for moorings, minimal public realm space or wayfinding adjacent to High Lode.

TOWNSCAPE PLAN >> KEY

The primary view of note is of St Thomas A Becket Church along High Street, with its attractive heritage surroundings including Church Green and Abbey Gatehouse.

SECTION TITLE

BUILDINGS

1. Converted former mill building, now apartments and entrance to Great Whyte culvert 2. St Thomas A Becket Church 3. Former Railway Public House building - gateway into the town centre from the north

4. Former Bank building and Grade II listed George Hotel building, High Street 5. Rear passageway / courtyard off Great Whyte 6. Great Whyte 7. Ramsey Abbey House 8. Great Whyte Baptist Church

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04 PUBLIC REALM & LANDSCAPE Ramsey Town Centre is predominantly made up of the two intersecting main routes: Great Whyte and High Street. The public realm on High Street is limited to pavement access to businesses, with parking along the northern street edge. Great Whyte is more varied, with an unusual public realm primarily made up of parking bays along the eastern half of the street. There is a change in surface material outside Ramsey Library, indicating a shared space, however this area is, at present, still dominated by parking. The town centre clock is located within an area of pedestrianised space adjacent to the library bus stop. The street is characterised by ornate lampposts situated through the middle of the street. Although the public realm is tidy, it is not an inviting space for people to sit outside cafes and there is limited green space or children’s play facilities within the centre of the town.

There are a number of courtyards which sit behind the main streets, accessed between gaps in buildings or beneath first floor bridged buildings. These spaces are typically private and characterised by cobbled driveways. Some provide the setting for converted buildings now providing residential use. There are some attractive areas of public realm including Church Green and the setting to Ramsey Abbey Gatehouse. There is however limited provision for people to gather, sit in and enjoy these spaces. This is similarly the case at High Lode in the north of the town centre.

PUBLIC REALM & LANDSCAPE PLAN >> KEY

URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT

PUBLIC REALM IN RAMSEY

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04 CONNECTIVITY & TRANSPORT Connected to south-west and towards Peterborough to the north.

The Prospectus for Growth also highlights a potential response to the limited cycle connectivity locally. This would take the form of full-fibre cycleways which will be explored further through this study.

There is limited pedestrian / cycle priority space, no national cycle routes or informal cycle routes connecting Ramsey to the wider area. Ramsey is connected to the Fens system of watercourses, however there is limited opportunity to moor in the town centre, with the nearest marina approximately 1km away at Bill Fen. Public transport connections are limited in the town. There is no train station or connection into the guided busway. Bus services in Ramsey are limited, as highlighted in the Strategic Bus Review published by the Combined Authority.

SPACES & PLACEMAKING PLAN >> KEY

The Prospectus for Growth document outlines a suggested solution in the form of franchising, with the Combined Authority setting out routes.

URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT

RAMSEY CONNECTIVITY

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market review RESIDENTIAL MARKET SUMMARY The key recently delivered residential schemes in Huntingdon comprise of Ramsey Park, De Havilland Gardens and St Thomas Park. Ramsey Park is being delivered by David Wilson Homes and comprises a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses, achieving an average price of £284 per sq ft. De Havilland Gardens, delivered by Evera Homes, is situated south of Ramsey in Bury and has achieved values in the order of £267 to £276 per sq ft, whilst Land Registry data confirms properties at St Thomas Park have achieved values in the order of £279 per sq ft. It is noted that the above mentioned new build residential tend to be delivered towards the periphery of the town of Ramsey. A review of Land Registry data notes that there have been no open market apartments recently delivered or sold in Ramsey. It is also noted that there are no new build apartments 22

currently available on Rightmove/ Zoopla in Ramsey. However, a total of just six second-hand apartments are available with one bedrooms available at £90,000-£100,000, and two bedroom apartments available at between £115,000-£140,000.

RESIDENTIAL TAKE UP RATES, DEMAND & PIPELINE DEVELOPMENTS Take-up rates across existing stock and new-build properties have been established through analysis of Land Registry data and planning policy documents. According to Land Registry data, a total of 1,742 new build residential dwellings were sold over the past five years within Huntingdonshire is, which equates to 348 dwelling per year on average. In terms of property type, a relatively high number of transactions related to detached and

semi-detached, whilst fewer flats, bungalows and terraced houses have recently been delivered and sold. A strong demand for new build properties within Huntingdonshire area has been identified by Huntingdonshire District Council. According to the Huntingdonshire Objectively Assessed Housing Need document, the total projected housing need for the period 2011 to 2036 is estimated at 20,100 dwellings, which equates to 804 new homes per annum to be delivered across Huntingdonshire. Based on recent delivery of housing, the report also notes a gap of circa 348 dwellings on average between delivery and the annual target of 804 dwellings. In terms of pipeline developments, Larkfleet Homes are currently delivering 92 one, three and fourbedroom houses to the south of Ramsey in Bury whilst Longhurst Group are involved in the delivery of 52 two- and three-bedroom homes at Dunthorne Rise and a further 32 homes at Great Whyte of which it is understood some will be affordable.

RETAIL MARKET SUMMARY The retail sector throughout the UK has generally struggled in recent years, particularly high streets which have suffered due to a change in consumer behaviour towards online shopping, accelerated by COVID-19. CoStar data for the wider Huntingdonshire area identifies market values recently falling below £200 per sq ft, whilst market yields have experienced a general increase since 2018 with evidence now suggesting achieved yields in the order of 6.9% and a predicted continued increase in yields for the retail sector which are forecasted to surpass 7.00% in 2022. There are relatively few new lettings evidenced for retail properties in Ramsey, however comparable evidence over the last three years identifies achieved rents in the order of £10.00 per sq ft. The most recent letting on CoStar was to B&M who took 4,920 sq ft of space for a 10 year term during May 2019 at a rent of £50,000

per annum, equating to a rent of £10.16 per sq ft. Conversations with locally based commercial agents Eddisons supported this with retail rents identified at currently circa £10 per sq ft. The only recent sale identified was the sale of 62 High Street during March 2020 which achieved a value of £235,000, equating to a value of £72.76 per sq ft. There was no recent evidence of retail properties sold as investments, however a review of the Knight Frank Yield Guide notes that good secondary high street retail locations are generally achieving yields in the order of 8.25% - 8.50%, whilst secondary/tertiary retail high streets are achieving yields of circa 10%. Considering the current retail market and change in consumer behaviour, it is anticipated that yields for retail space in this location would likely be in the order of 9.50%.

OFFICE MARKET SUMMARY The requirement for high-quality workspace, enhanced wellbeing credentials and unrivalled amenity is anticipated to become increasingly important in order to entice employees back to the office. A rise in demand for more flexible office space is also predicted. Analysis of office properties has been undertaken through the review of a number of different property databases and conversations with locally based agents. It is recognised that the office market within Ramsey is relatively nonexistent, with the most recent office letting according to CoStar transacting in May 2017 for an office property on the north side of St Marys Road, the property extends over 540 sq ft and achieved £11.00 per sq ft. It is further noted that 400 sq ft of office space at 101 High Street is currently being marketed at a rental rate of £15.00 per sq ft. Conversations with locally based commercial agents Eddisons note that rental figures for modern office space within Ramsey could achieve up to £10.00 per sq ft, and noted that office values within Ramsey are relatively low due to the lack of demand for office space. A review of recent freehold transactions in relation to office space has been undertaken, the most recent office building within the last five years also relates to 101 High Street which extends over 4,187 sq ft and achieved £300,000 during July 2019, equating to £72.00 per sq ft.

However, there was no recent evidence of office properties that sold as investments, yet a review of the Knight Frank Yield Guide notes that good secondary office locations are generally achieving yields in the order of 6.50%. It is also noted that yields from transactions of commercial properties within St Ives are in the order of 8.00 9.00%. Considering the current office market within Ramsey and change in employee behaviour, it is anticipated that yields for retail space in this location would likely be in the order of 9.00%.

LEISURE MARKET SUMMARY Although the Huntingdonshire Local Plan 2019 identifies that hotels and leisure uses are encouraged and should look to be located within the town centres. Recently the leisure market has started to evolve with more night time economy activities at the forefront of the focus, with competitive socialising and pop-up street food schemes becoming increasingly popular.

course and bowl facilities. Ramsey Golf Club and Bowls Club provides separate lodges for two-night stays which are in excess of £385 per lodge to rent. It was noted that the majority of lodges were booked for weekend stays. It was also noted that rooms at Ramsey Rooms were in the order of £83 per night and there appeared to be relatively few available rooms to book over the coming weeks. It was noted that the national hotel operators, such as Marriot Hotels and Holiday Inn, are situated some 9 miles south west of Ramsey towards Huntingdon. Whilst there are a reasonable range of leisure facilities within Ramsey and access to the walking, cycling and water based activities in relative proximity, what was clear from the visit to the town was the absence of a night time economy and limited family orientated activities, particularly for younger children and teenagers.

There is relatively little offering in Ramsey in terms of leisure, with just a single hotel, known as Ramsey Rooms, and a single leisure centre, known as One Leisure, which provides an indoor sports hall, swimming poor, indoor cricket nets and gym facilities, and Ramsey Golf Club and Bowls Club which is situated towards the southwest of Ramsey and an 18-hole RAMSEY HUNTINGDONSHIRE

direction of travel SOCIOECONOMIC CASE FOR CHANGE This dashboard highlights the key economic drivers for change. The amber and red boxes form the beginnings of the business case for interventions and projects which will allow Ramsey to achieve its vision and economic goals.

Attractive countryside • The fens are a great natural asset with a rich ecosystem that links to the canal network.

Poor Public Transport • Limited connectivity restricts the ability to access employment.

Poor Digital Connectivity • Digital connectivity in NW Cambridgeshire is poor and effects the ability to work from home.

Source: Thinkbroadband

Limited Employment Options • Ramsey has a limited employment offer.

Source: NOMIS, 2011 Census

Inequality • Inequality is highlighted by Universal Credit claimants, where the rate is 70 per 1k population.

Few Learning Opportunities • Huntingdonshire’s NVQ4+ rate is 5pp lower than Cambridgeshire. Source: NOMIS APS

Heritage Assets • Abbey Gatehouse and the parish church of St Thomas Becket are under-utilised opportunities.

Affordable Homes • Relatively low house prices at £236k, £94k below the national average.

Aging Population • Proportion aged 65+ (21%) is higher than the national average (19%).

LONG LIST PROJECTS Poor digital and transport connectivity

Limited employment and learning opportunities

Lack of town centre offer and blighted by traffic

Well connected town to wider Huntingdonshire and local villages

Increased employment alternatives and access to high-quality adult learning resources

Strong identity of place supporting Ramsey and surrounding areas

Cycle & Digital Infrastructure: connections to surrounding villages with electric bike opportunity

Pedestrian Friendly Space: improvements to Great Whyte public realm and connectivity, including to Ramsey Gateway

Agri-Tech: explore agri-tech opportunities with potential links to higher education at Abbey College

Great Whyte as a Destination: a new central market / pop-up vendors

Fen Links Visitor Economy: Grow visitor economy through Fens connectivity, moorings, accommodation and facilities

Ramsey Abbey School Redevelopment: redevelopment of historic building as an attractor to Ramsey

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