Development corporation set to 'liberate' Cambridge potential

Housing Secretary Michael Gove argues growth in Cambridge is slowed by a lack of laboratory space and new housing

A new development corporation will oversee a massive expansion of Cambridge and "tens of thousands" of homes near the city, Michael Gove said.

The Housing Secretary wants "to liberate its potential" and build "northwards of 150,000 homes".

Addressing issues of water supply locally, he promised to "say more about new sources of water" in 2024.

Cambridge Labour MP Daniel Zeichner said Mr Gove should "unlock" funds for "ready to go" housing projects.

Mr Gove outlined his Cambridge 2040 vision as "a new urban quarter, one truly plugged in to the existing city, rather than simply orbiting it, with beautiful new classical buildings, rich parkland, concert halls and museums providing new homes for thousands each year".

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

"Nowhere is the future being shaped more decisively than in Cambridge, its global leadership in life sciences and tech is a huge national asset but until now its growth has been constrained," he said in a speech to the Royal Institute of British Architects.

"We will establish a new development corporation with a broadly-based board to steer its efforts. These we will arm with the right leadership and the full range of powers necessary to marshal this huge project over the next two decades."

The new statutory body will have the power to compulsorily purchase land.

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Mr Gove added that he was announcing "new steps to help manage demand for water in new developments".

Cambridge City Council Labour leader Mike Davey, South Cambridgeshire District Council Liberal Democrat leader Bridget Smith, Cambridgeshire County Council Liberal Democrat leader Lucy Nethsingha and Nik Johnson, Labour Combined Authority mayor, together criticised the announcement.

"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," they said.

Mr Gove's plan was "substantially more than the over 50,000 homes" identified in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, "a number which will already be incredibly challenging to bring forward", they added.

They also highlighted issues around sustainable public transport, infrastructure such as schools and GPs "and water shortages in this region, which are putting our chalk streams under extreme pressure".

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