Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities unveiled new plans for the delivery of the government’s ‘Cambridge 2040’ project, bringing a response from the area’s local leaders.
Outlined in the vision are proposals for what Housing Secretary Michael Gove claimed as “northwards” of 150,000 new homes to expand the city of Cambridge. Following the announcement, local leaders came together to respond. In a joint statement, the leaders of the region’s local authorities said:
“Despite working hard to engage constructively with government officials since the Secretary of State’s initial Cambridge 2040 announcement in the summer, it’s deeply disappointing that once again government plans for Cambridge seem to be being negotiated through the press.
“We note in the latest announcement that the number of new homes put forward by R Hon Michael Gove MP has come down from 250,000 to 150,000, but this is still substantially more than the over 50,000 we have identified as needed in the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan (2040) – a number which will already be incredibly challenging to bring forward. We are ambitious for high-quality quality sustainable, green growth but can’t stress enough how vital it is that government supports us to tackle the issues that will otherwise act as roadblocks to sustainable growth.
“We have written to the Secretary of State a number of times over the past month to stress the importance of committing to sustainable growth and to reiterate the support that is needed to enable us to plan for the homes set out in the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan.
“This includes prioritising sustainable public transport, community infrastructure such as schools and GPs, and water shortages in this region, which are putting our chalk streams under extreme pressure – an issue which the Greater Cambridge Planning Service warned in January 2023 could delay existing plans for housebuilding if not addressed by government. We are still waiting for responses to these questions which would detail how government proposes to support us in delivering a proposed 50,000 or so homes responsible, let alone 150,000.
“Clarity is also needed as to who is involved in the ‘Cambridge Delivery Group’, what it will do, and how it will be governed. Devolution works best when local politicians are empowered to lead and deliver sustainable development and we will continue to work hard to represent our residents and ensure that Cambridge and its surrounding villages grow in a sustainable and carefully planned way.”
Leaders Cllr Mike Davey (Cambridge City Council), Cllr Bridget Smith (South Cambridgeshire District Council), Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (Cambridgeshire County Council), as well as Cambridge and Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson.
Through the statement, the region’s leaders have called on the government to make a commitment to supporting growth in a sustainable way. This would see commitments to improving areas such as water scarcity, transport, planning, and affordable housing, alongside health and social care investment.
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