In the meantime, the Cambridge Growth Company has a new website – and has appointed new consultants
You can read the CPCA announcement here.
Of the six points, the one that stands out for me is:
“Pushing an alternative route for East-West rail: The Mayor has written to the East-West Rail Company to propose how a Cambridge light rail system could connect Cambourne to the city well before East-West Rail arrives. This would unlock a quicker, cheaper southern route that avoids disruptive embankments through villages like Hardwick and Comberton, while still serving Cambridge South.“
Above – Paul Bristow / CPCA, 06 May 2025
If it’s similar to how Cambridge Connect propose a Cambourne-Cambridge link, then it might be something like as below:
Above – Screengrab from a Cambridge Connect video I wrote about in Aug 2024 here
It will be interesting to see how flexible the company and ministers are willing to be on this, only the company has said in the recent past that the route was ‘not up for negotiation’ – despite the concerns from residents raised in the run up to the general election. Either way, we’re about to find out from ministers how much power and flexibility the metro mayors have.
Send your questions to the new Mayor
See the CPCA’s question page here
The Cambridge Growth Company
Their webpage here hopefully means they can deal with all of the queries about who invented them, why, what they will do and under which legal powers.
A reminder that you can hear from the Chairman of the company Peter Freeman on 15 May at Great St Mary’s in an event organised by the Federation of Cambridge Residents’ Associations. Book your free tickets here
Above – can Peter make Cambridge a happy city?
Consultants for the CGC appointed
It’s going to make a lot of people a lot of money. Personally I’d like to see more of the work being done in-house if only to build up corporate and civic memory.
The only familiar name up there is former Cambridge City Council Chief Planner Peter Studdert. He has been vocal on the risks associated with the rapid growth of Cambridge – you can listen back to his contribution on Cambridge Radio in 2023, and also to his other contributions on Cambridge Radio (formerly 105) here.
I remain to be convinced about the willingness of the Growth Company to engage with residents. The best thing the CGC can do from my perspective is to create the forums and spaces where the developers and the big interests come face-to-face with residents and community groups – the very people who will be directly affected by their plans. That’s not to say tie the corporates to lamp posts and let residents take free hits. Because not all residents are against the expansion of housing in principle, and furthermore there are a host of improvements that need to happen to our city, some of which can be provided for by and within the new neighbourhoods. Such as a second urban centre. Just don’t let big developers like Commercial Estates impose their grim vision proposed for south-east Cambridge, which if extrapolated risks creating a bland a doughnut of doom around the city.
Above – a submission from the CEG for South East Cambridge by the Babraham Road Park’n’Ride, not included in the proposals for the emerging local plan 2031-40
I really hope we can avoid this sort of blandness – but I remain sceptical.
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The Cambridge Town Owl 