The Government has announced promising plans that could transform one of Britain’s most unaffordable cities: thousands of new homes for working families, improved public transport to cut commuting times, and many new job opportunities. And you have the chance to help make this change happen!
A new Greater Cambridge Development Corporation would have the powers to cut through the planning delays that have held the city back for years. Only by building more homes in Cambridge can we stop the process of people being priced out of one of the UK’s most exciting cities.
Do you want to help make Cambridge more affordable?
You have until 11:59pm on the 1st of April to respond to the Greater Cambridge consultation – and we need as many responses in support of more homes in Cambridge as we can get.
How you can make Cambridge more affordable
The consultation on the plans for a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation closes at 11:59pm on the 1st of April. It takes just minutes to respond, and you don’t need to answer every question – any response is helpful. The more people who back an ambitious Development Corporation, the more likely it is to happen!
There are two ways for you to support new homes in Greater Cambridge:
- Fill in the survey using the online portal
- Or, send an email to [email protected]
Here are our thoughts on four impactful things to support:
1. Support the case for a centrally-led Development Corporation
A Development Corporation for Greater Cambridge is an excellent opportunity to enable the building of thousands of new homes, new commercial space, new jobs, the regeneration of brownfield sites, and vital local community infrastructure.
Make sure to express that the Development Corporation should have strong plan making powers, alongside strong powers over planning applications, so that many new homes can be built quickly!
Effective land value capture is a further key to making the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation work for everyone. Support strong land value capture powers to fund affordable homes and infrastructure!
2. Support the objectives of the Greater Cambridge plan
There are five objectives outlined in the consultation:
- ‘Transformational economic growth’: a large increase in jobs and homes while reinforcing Greater Cambridge’s status as a centre for technology, innovation, and science.
- ‘Infrastructure-led development’: making sure that there is new public transport.
- ‘Innovative investment’: prioritising mass transit investment.
- ‘Environment and climate’: ensuring walkable communities and green space.
- ‘Inclusion and opportunity’: pursuing a high rate of affordable housing.
These objectives will help make the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation a success.
3. Support the widest geographical boundary for Greater Cambridge
The Development Corporation’s boundary determines where it can exercise its powers. The proposal covers both Cambridge and the surrounding South Cambridgeshire district, not just the historic city centre.
This matters because Cambridge’s housing crisis can’t be solved within the city’s tight boundaries alone. Many of the areas where new homes could be built sit in South Cambridgeshire, meaning that a wider boundary would lead to more homes being built.
4. Support the lowest thresholds for Development Corporation decision-making
The consultation asks which size of development should be decided by the Development Corporation rather than the local council. The options are 250, 500, or 1,000 dwellings for housing, and 1,000 sqm or 2,500 sqm for commercial space.
Back the lowest thresholds: 250 dwellings and 1,000 sqm. Higher thresholds mean fewer sites fall under the Development Corporation’s remit, limiting its potential to help build more homes.
Respond to the consultation to grow Cambridge
This is a great chance to boost living standards in Cambridge. The more people who respond in support of an ambitious Development Corporation, the stronger the signal to Government that Cambridge is ready to build the homes and infrastructure its workers and families need.
Respond here, and read more about why you should support the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation below.
High housing costs are holding Cambridge and its workers back
Cambridge is an extraordinary city. Home to a world-renowned university that has produced greats like Isaac Newton, Alan Turing, and David Attenborough, the city is full of both heritage and globally significant life sciences and technology companies. But Cambridge is also one of the most unaffordable cities in the UK, and is pricing out too many workers who want to live there.
Rising housing costs are making Cambridge unaffordable for the workers it needs to thrive. The median house price is nearly eleven times the median salary, and rents take up 35% of household income. At the same time, homes cost well over £7,000 per square metre across most of the city area, which makes it more difficult for growing families who need more space to live there.
These high housing costs mean that many of the people who want to live in Cambridge simply cannot afford to. As a result, people are being shut out of good jobs and some of the UK’s leading industries.
But this isn’t a problem for Cambridge alone. GVA per head in Cambridge is 48% above the national average. This means that every new high-wage job created there could generate more in tax revenue, funding vital improvements in public services. We all lose when not enough new homes are built.
Why hasn’t Cambridge built enough homes?
Restrictive planning policies have left Cambridge with too few homes. Between 2011 and 2019, employment in Cambridge grew by 41,000 jobs while homebuilding lagged far behind, producing a 6:1 imbalance between new jobs and new homes.
Major sites that could house working families like Northstowe and Waterbeach East – despite being far from the centre of Cambridge – were delayed for many years, held back by a lack of focus on building new homes.
Finding a way to unlock new communities like this is vital for increasing housing supply, and in turn, cutting the cost of living and improving affordability.
How can we make Cambridge more affordable?
A Development Corporation is a statutory body with special powers to get things built. It can assemble land, fast-track planning decisions, and directly fund and deliver infrastructure – transport, utilities, schools, and green spaces – that individual councils struggle to coordinate alone.
The Greater Cambridge Development Corporation could deliver thousands of new homes, regenerate brownfield sites across Cambridge, create thousands of jobs fit for the future, and unlock billions in investment. Unlocking Cambridge’s expansion could increase the size of the local economy by £16 billion by 2050, a vital step towards boosting living standards for workers and families.
Why would a Development Corporation have the potential to deliver the homes people need? One example from the 2010s stands out. When the London Legacy Development Corporation renewed East London for the 2012 Olympic Games, it enabled the building of 33,000 homes and attracted £12.5 billion in investment. With its world-class university and high-skill industries, Cambridge has the potential to go even further.
Remember to respond to the consultation
The final deadline is 11:59pm on the 1st of April. This is a great chance to boost living standards in Cambridge. The more people who respond in support of an ambitious Development Corporation, the stronger the signal to Government that Cambridge is ready to build the homes and infrastructure its workers and families need.
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