Cambridgeshire County Council has issued a statement in response to the HM Treasury’s £500 million investment for the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said:
"As the Chancellor has announced today, the Cambridge end of the corridor will receive £400m to spend on development with affordable homes, infrastructure, and business expansion. This investment is important for the wider UK economy, but we want to ensure this much-needed growth also benefits and involves local people.
"I know Lord Vallance and Minister Pennycook MP attended the Innovate Cambridge Summit today. The government intends to consult on a government led Development Corporation for Greater Cambridge and they will be recruiting a Chief Executive for the Cambridge Growth Company. We need the government to support councils in these growth areas, and we will continue to work with our mayor and government to deliver for residents, communities, and businesses.
"The Chancellor has recognised the lack of public transport, affordable housing and infrastructure we need to address, which we explained to the Housing and Planning Minister last year, and the pressure this puts on local services and infrastructure.
"Minister Pennycook says this government will 'ramp up housebuilding in the years ahead to benefit communities in Greater Cambridge…' and I’d like to reassure our residents we will continue to represent their views and ensure residents, communities and businesses are involved.
"We will also carry on representing our communities around East West Rail (EWR), which was discussed at our Highways and Transport Committee earlier in the year, a project which falls into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process. We will continue our constructive discussions with EWR around the electrification of the route, ecology, and public rights of way."
