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Green light for Cambridge development body

Ben SchofieldBBC East political correspondent
News imagePA Media A view over the River Camb towards King's College Chapel and other ornate college buildings. A punt with around a dozen sightseers on board is seen in the foreground, being pushed along the river by a punting chauffeur, who is wearing a white T-shirt and waistcoat. He is holding a long metal staff, which is used to push against the bottom of the river and propel the boat along. Beyond the river are lawns leading up to the buildings in the middle distance. The sky is blue and it appears to be a gloriously sunny day.PA Media
A new development corporation will cover the city of Cambridge as well as the surrounding South Cambridgeshire towns and villages

A new "Greater Cambridge" regeneration body will ensure transport links and community services are "built alongside new homes, not as an afterthought", according to the government.

Ministers confirmed a development corporation will be set up to deliver thousands of new homes and infrastructure across Cambridge city and South Cambridgeshire.

They said the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation would have the "powers and certainty to deliver infrastructure-first growth at scale".

It has already committed £800m to "accelerate new homes, jobs and infrastructure across Cambridge and Oxford".

Opponents of the scheme previously said the proposals were a "power grab".

News imageAn aerial view of some of the modern buildings at Cambridge Biomedical Campus. There are around six buildings in shot, with a surface car park in the foreground and the horizon in the far distance, beneath a somewhat moody sky.
The government hopes science and innovation, including at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, can help grow the economy

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the corporation would "end the cycle of homes coming first and services catching up years later by developing land faster".

Transport and services would be "built alongside new homes, not as an afterthought", the department said.

Residents in Northstowe, a new town being built west of Cambridge, complained it had taken too long for shops and community facilities to arrive.

The new body will be tasked with bringing land together for development, investing in "key sites", and "unlocking" stalled and derelict land.

Ministers hoped it would tackle housing affordability, cut commuter delays, break down barriers to employment and improve connectivity.

News imageSteve Hubbard/BBC A group of people rallying for better pay in Cambridge. Most of them are wearing red high-visibility jackets bearing the logo of Unite the Union and several are waving large Unite the Union flags. They are pictured standing on a grass verge in front of a sign for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.Steve Hubbard/BBC
The development corporation could help ease housing affordability in Cambridge, where some public sector workers have been calling for help with high living costs

A consultation into the plans ran from 4 February to 1 April.

According to MHCLG, the corporation will be a "joint national and local body with the powers and long-term leadership to turn ambition into delivery".

But Heather Williams, a Conservative councillor in South Cambridgeshire, previously warned a development corporation would be an "absolute power grab".

In a statement released when the consultation opened, Tim Bick, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Cambridge City Council, said the proposals appeared to be "just paying lip service to local accountability".

He added: "Stripping out planning powers from the councils is an act of centralisation that is simply not justified by token representation on otherwise technocratic committees."

Ministers said the plans would be instrumental in "cementing Greater Cambridge's status as a world-leading centre for science and innovation".

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: "Greater Cambridge is an area with huge potential that the new development corporation will help turn into more affordable homes, good jobs for local people and infrastructure that supports its communities."

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: "Greater Cambridge is a powerhouse for regional growth – and we're unlocking its full potential as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor."

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