Abigail Jones, head of development for Savills in Cambridge and Andy Moffat, head of planning for Savills in the East of England, discuss what a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation could mean for the city.
The government has launched a consultation about a proposed development corporation for Greater Cambridge; a new growth body focused on accelerating nationally significant growth in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
Greater Cambridge continues to set itself apart as a world leader in technology, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
The ‘Silicon Fen’ is a hotbed of innovation – home to tech heavyweights including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Toshiba alongside the likes of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and homegrown firms such as cybersecurity specialists Darktrace.
But constraints in the office and laboratory markets, as well as housing affordability and infrastructure challenges are preventing the area from realising its full potential.
The government hopes its plan for a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation will solve some of these issues and accelerate nationally significant growth.
Consultation period
The proposals are in addition to up to £400 million of funding already committed to accelerate development in the area, including support for new transport links, affordable homes and the University of Cambridge Innovation Hub.
Some of this money has been provided to help tackle water scarcity while long-term infrastructure is developed, while an extra £15 million has also been allocated for new science start-ups.
According to the consultation documents, the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation will be focused on speeding up major development and accelerating economic growth – leveraging public and private investment to assemble land, regenerate key sites, coordinate infrastructure and reduce inequality through affordable housing and skills development.
When announcing the eight-week consultation period into the proposals, Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government was determined for Greater Cambridge to realise its full potential and to ‘unleash ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth’.
Residents, local leaders and businesses in and around the city can now have their say on whether a development corporation should be established, the area it would cover and the planning powers it should have at its disposal. The preferred option being consulted upon would cover Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire. It would also have a longer timeframe – 25 years – than current Local Plans.
Opportunity to deliver growth
Of course, such projects are not without their challenges, but ultimately the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation has the potential to unlock thousands of new homes, employment space and critical infrastructure, together with jobs in construction, bioscience, education and hospitality.
It could also boost further economic growth across the Oxford to Cambridge innovation corridor – feeding into the plans for East West Rail and supporting future investment in the wider region.
The proposals are a chance to bring national, regional and local expertise to bear, building on existing work by local authorities and other organisations such as The Cambridge Growth Company and Cambridge Ahead.
With the right model Greater Cambridge can continue to lead – bringing lasting benefits and demonstrating how ambitious sustainable growth can be planned and delivered in line with government objectives and in partnership with key stakeholders.
This scale of opportunity requires a bold long-term vision and fundamental change in how infrastructure is planned, coordinated and delivered. As well as electricity and water challenges, this also has to include the provision of education, health and social care amenities, alongside a range of housing tenures and types to ensure the city meets its range of needs.
Images: Savills
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