Call-to-Action to Next Administration
On the 26 June 2024, the Cambridgeshire Development Forum sent their post-election priorities to candidates of the incoming administration on behalf of the development community in the Cambridgeshire region.
Launching the Cambridgeshire Development Forum’s list of five key post election priorities, CDF Chair, Lord Lansley of Orwell, said:
“We are ambitious for Cambridgeshire. We need major new schemes and infrastructure to meet the opportunities for our region to be the leading science-based cluster in Europe and continue to be a great place to live. The future plans must be a partnership between our local government, central government and the development community."
The CDF’s Five Key Priorities
That the new administration maintain the momentum of the ‘Cambridge 2050’ initiative, with the establishment of the Cambridge Growth Company in partnership with local leaders;
Bring forward powers for a joint spatial development strategy to be prepared, led by local planning authorities – in collaboration with the Combined Authority, County and neighbouring authorities – so that this can be in place by mid-2025;
Agree a long-term transport strategy linked to the spatial strategy for the region and that will enable the delivery of the scale of development consistent with the region’s economic potential, including new settlements, urban extensions and market town regeneration linked by public transport connections;
Establish housing targets for Cambridgeshire local planning authorities that respond to the economic growth potential of the region; these housing targets should reflect the pace and scale of the large-scale potential increase in employment in the region;
Agree a Devolution Deal for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which includes tax-increment financing for infrastructure based on enhanced targets for the delivery of employment space, laboratory capacity and house-building, delivering additional GVA and tax revenues.
The following are further priorities that are integral to delivering the desired sustainable growth for the region. The new administration should:
Agree a development solution with local authorities and the Combined Authority, using development corporation powers as needed, to create a delivery vehicle for the regional infrastructure strategy (incorporating the Greater Cambridge Partnership and the Growth Company);
Prepare a joint Government/Combined Authority/Local Authority Infrastructure Delivery Framework by the start of 2025, as the basis for agreement on the structure of the Infrastructure Levy in the region;
Take forward the work of the Water Scarcity Task Force with the provision of additional capacity for Cambridge Water from Grafham Water, also by pipeline, with the earliest feasible building of the Fens Reservoir and implementation of a pilot Water Credits scheme in Cambridgeshire;
Establish a Power for Cambridgeshire Task Force as part of the Growth Company to ensure that the economic growth in Cambridgeshire and our Net Zero obligations are met with available sustainable energy supply;
Support the earliest feasible delivery of East-West Rail;
Require the preparation of new Local Plans in the region as pilots for the new local plan processes; with the early publication of both a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Development Management Policies (NDMP); with support from Government resources for the pilot local planning authorities;
With Homes England, to support the delivery of the new settlements and affordable housing, including social homes for rent as well as shared equity.
Inclusion of social housing requirements on all schemes, enabling those on low incomes to live/work to support the Cambridge economy.
Embed sustainability into all plans, strategies and delivery;
Support local authorities through the enhanced planning fees; ensuring these resources are directed to their planning departments; to enable development of planning performance agreements; and to increase the supply of new planners.
