University city must see growth, says minister

The previous government wanted to build 150,000 new homes in the Cambridge area

A minister said he wanted a university city to now see significant growth after being "constrained economically by the lack of housing".

Matthew Pennycook, a Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich and minister for housing, said he wanted to re-engage with councils in Cambridge after they complained of not being consulted by the previous government on a 38-page document setting out its "Case for Cambridge".

The document included proposals for tens of thousands of homes to be built in the area before 2050.

He said the Labour government was "ambitious for Cambridge", but would not publish a figure on the number of homes it wants to see built.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook says Cambridge must see 'significant growth'

Mr Pennycook unveiled plans for a New Towns Taskforce on Wednesday during a visit to Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

He said that the government wanted to build another 45,000 homes in the East of England, in addition to the number of homes that local councils have already been asked to construct. He added that it also wanted to see better infrastructure in new developments.

He asked the taskforce, which is led by Sir Michael Lyons, to identify appropriate locations for settlements of up to 10,000 homes.

'Re-engage leaders'

In May the former government unveiled proposals to build up to 150,000 homes in the Cambridge area.

The plans were met with opposition from local councils and the Environment Agency raised concerns about water supply.

The government then said it would solve the issue with a water credits system, which would allow developers to pay "credits" to offset the water used by new residents.

However the authorities remained concerned, and the Environment Agency objected to a number of housing developments because of the cumulative effect on water supply.

However some of these have now been approved, including the development of Bourn Airfield.

Mr Pennycook said the government was "ambitious for Cambridge" and said the city had been "constrained economically by the lack of housing".

He also said the government would "reassess and re-engage local leaders and communities in a discussion about how we do growth well in Cambridge".

Previously councils and MPs from the city and surrounding areas said they had not been involved in the plans for housing.