Michael Gove promises to sort Cambridge 2040 water issues

"Cambridge 2040" is a project proposes to build a quarter of a million homes in Cambridge over two decades

The Housing Secretary Michael Gove has promised to prioritise water supply issues so that 250,000 homes can be built in and around Cambridge by 2040.

Mr Gove had a tour of the new development of Great Kneighton in the south of the city on Thursday.

He told the BBC the government wanted Cambridge "to have a chance to grow".

Previously, the Environment Agency (EA) objected to plans for a thousand homes in the west of the city over "water scarcity".

The Cambridge 2040 project could see 250,000 homes built in Cambridge over two decades, to support investment in the sciences and technology sectors.

The scheme, first revealed in a Sunday Times article in July, is part of the Mr Gove's vision to transform Cambridge into the "Silicon Valley of Europe".

Earlier, Mike Davey from Cambridge City Council said he was "shocked" to read about it in the newspapers.

He said the authority needed to find out if there was "anything of any substance" in the reports.

Anthony Browne, Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, also said he would fight the plan.

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Speaking during his Cambridge visit on Thursday, Mr Gove said: "We want to make sure there are different types of homes for all kinds of families. We must expand Cambridge.

"Cambridge is much more than a medieval city. Its growth provides opportunity for the next generation to live in beautiful homes and the opportunity for people to have high paying jobs and for our country to grow."

The Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing is seeking to rapidly expand the number of homes in Cambridge to boost the science and tech economy

Addressing the water supply issue in Cambridge, Mr Gove said: "We know this is one of the most water-scarce parts of the county.

"The issue with water will absolutely be solved. We need to make sure we built reservoirs. And make sure the buildings we built in future are beautiful but also environmentally of the highest standard.

"We want to work in cooperation with landowners, local councils and local people to deliver our plans."

An EA spokesperson said it had a "statutory duty to support sustainable development".

"We will always work closely with local planning authorities and housing developers to build sustainable homes for the future, but those homes must have a reliable supply of clean and plentiful water which does not cause deterioration of the environment."

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