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‘Nothing new for Cambridgeshire’ in Chancellor’s Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor announcement




The Chancellor’s announcement of a new Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor has been branded a “rehashing” of old Ox-Cam Arc proposals.

Cllr Bridget Smith (Lib Dem, Gamlingay), leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said she could see “nothing new” for Cambridgeshire in the government announcement.

Bridget Smith leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambourne. Picture: Keith Heppell
Bridget Smith leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambourne. Picture: Keith Heppell

Other local leaders have met the plans with optimism, including the Labour MP for Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner. He said commitments from the government “represent a significant step forward” for the area.

Rachel Reeves announced plans for an Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor in a speech on Wednesday (29 January).

She said the area has the “potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley” and could add up to £78billion to the UK economy by 2035.

The Chancellor said there were “far too many supply-side constraints on economic growth” in the region, which she said the government would fix.

Ms Reeves said new homes and improved transport infrastructure between the two cities were needed.

However, Cllr Smith said she could see “nothing new” in the specifics highlighted by the Chancellor, adding that growth corridor plans were “just rehashing the Ox-Cam Arc”.

She said: “We are already building the A428 upgrades, we know East West Rail is funded, we know we will be getting a new cancer hospital.

“What I am concerned about is that Rachel Reeves tried to give the impression that the Environment Agency is quite happy with the water situation.

“The truth of the matter is the Environment Agency have withdrawn their objections to the housing and development which is in our current local plan, but they have categorically not said that there is sufficient water for the housing and employment space in the joint emerging local plan, and never said anything about water supply for 150,000 houses the housing minister has been planning.

“On top of that there was no mention of the fact that Anglian Water is now objecting to developments on the grounds of insufficient capacity in their system for both sewage and rain water run-off.”

Cllr Smith added that she was pleased the government “recognised the potential for economic growth in the area”. She said she wants to see some “hard cash” to deal with some of the “real problems” the area is facing, including access to health care and dentists.

Cllr Heather Williams (Con, The Mordens), leader of the opposition, said she was worried the Chancellor’s aspirations for development and growth in the area could be “catastrophic” for people in her constituency.

Cllr Williams said the timescales suggested would not give enough time for “proper consultation”, raising concerns that people in the area will not have a voice in what happens.

She said: “The Chancellor is in trouble so she has come to the Cambridge cash cow and that in itself is worrying.

“Yes we are very fortunate to live in an area that has such potential, and we always have been contributors to the economy in current times, and we should always seek to maximise that, but what we heard several times is a real fear for democracy and local voices.”

Businesses have also reacted to the Chancellor’s ‘growth corridor’ announcement.

Mission Street CEO Artem Korolev, an investor in lab space in Cambridge, said: “The Government’s commitment to put the Oxford-Cambridge Arc back on the table is, we hope, a forerunner to concrete policy.

“A holistic strategy that spans the wider arc region is critical to capitalising on the research excellence in Oxford and Cambridge with a critical mass of businesses, investment, homes and infrastructure capable of competing with the world’s leading ecosystems.”

John Hartley, CEO of Levidian said: “Today’s announcement underscores the government’s commitment to fostering economic growth and innovation, which are vital to ensuring the UK remains a global leader in clean technology.

“As a Cambridge-based clean-tech business, we are eager to contribute to the success of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

“To fully unleash the region’s potential, businesses need policies that reduce barriers to scaling up, reward innovation and drive investment in emerging technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture.

“By pairing today’s ambitions with decisive, near-term action, we can accelerate growth and build a globally competitive, green economy.”

Mark Hampson, head of commercial at real estate consultants Hollis, said: “Funding for life sciences in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor is a huge bonus for the sector, but it comes with a really important caveat.

“There are so many life science buildings in Cambridge in particular that are in desperate need of renovation. Yes, build new sites but we must direct money to restoring what we already have.”




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