Government moves ahead with plans for Greater Cambridge Development Corporation

The corporation will cover the area governed by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Councils and have a raft of targets to hit, including the number of new homes it delivers.

It will be accountable to Mr Reed, who will appoint an interim board as a permanent one is recruited, though four positions will be reserved for local politicians, including the mayor.

After its creation is approved by parliament, the body will automatically have a variety of powers.

One is the ability to acquire land by compulsory order, though the government claims this would only be used if voluntary agreements fail and there is a clear public interest case.

It will also be able to plan, fund and deliver “essential infrastructure” required for regeneration schemes alongside housing, though most services will still be provided by the local council and utilities companies.

The government will also bring in legislation to expand the corporation’s capabilities this autumn.

This includes granting it powers to determine applications for strategically important sites and to make a plan for development in the area, covering up to the 2050s and beyond.

It will only be able to put its own plan together after a current draft local plan is adopted (by 2028), but could support development outside of the draft plan through national policy changes and other “material considerations”.

The corporation will have long-term access to central government grants and borrowing, use private and institutional investment, and develop its own assets to bring in income.

It expected to run for 25 years and will undergo monitoring, including a review after between 18 months and two years of operating. 

The government will set up the corporation despite opposition from the majority of local residents and groups to the move, as revealed in its consultation.

More than two-thirds of individuals, nearly half of local government organisations and 42% of interest groups were against setting up the vehicle, compared to just 8% of private sector and professional bodies.

Of the survey’s 773 respondents, 90% said they lived or worked in the region and the majority, 617, were individuals.

The main reason for opposition was fear of the impact on local democracy, including residents’ ability to influence decisions.

Some also raised concerns about how the corporation would impact the environment or were sceptical of how far the new vehicle could solve current constraints to development.

In its response, the government said it will ask the corporation to run forums for residents to influence development, similar to a group set up by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation.

It also stressed that the body is legally bound to contribute to sustainable development, including mitigating and adapting to climate change.

News of the development vehicle came as plans were launched for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor to grow its scientific output so that it ranks within the top 10 global innovation clusters by 2035, as ranked by the Global Innovation Index.

A vision document released today set out how the region could create 160,000 jobs and achieve an economic output worth £78m within the next decade.

The strategy includes housing in its priorities, as new development would be needed to support the local workforce and ease current housing pressure in the area.

It has been put together by a group representing 13 local councils and a coalition of the region’s universities. 

The plan has gained support from the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who said: “I welcome the Supercluster’s clear vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, as it shows the joint determination of government and industry to build a globally competitive innovation supercluster – turning world-class research into jobs and long-term growth.”

The corridor already has £800m of government funding earmarked for development.