The government has confirmed plans to establish a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation, despite widespread local concern that the move could weaken democratic control over planning in one of the country’s most sensitive growth areas.
A consultation analysis published on Tuesday said ministers will proceed with the centrally led body after reviewing 773 responses, even though 59% of respondents opposed or mostly opposed the creation of the corporation and 61% opposed or mostly opposed it taking plan-making powers. The proposal would create a new development corporation covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire, with powers intended to speed up homes, infrastructure and investment in the city region.
Ministers argue the new body is needed to tackle longstanding problems around housing affordability, transport congestion and infrastructure shortages, and say the corporation will be designed to deliver “infrastructure-first growth”. The government’s consultation response says Greater Cambridge remains a critical national growth area, but that fragmented governance, complex decision-making and uncertain long-term funding have made it difficult to deliver major infrastructure at the pace required.
The response also sets out revised objectives for the corporation, including sustainable and inclusive economic growth, infrastructure-led development, innovative investment, environmental and climate resilience, inclusion and opportunity, and local representation, participation and transparency. Ministers say the corporation will be legally bound to contribute to sustainable development and that its performance will be measured through targets covering housing, infrastructure delivery, carbon reduction, environmental indicators and employment outcomes.
But Cambridge City Council said the plans still risk sidelining local voices. In a statement issued after the government’s announcement, council leader Katie Thornburrow welcomed additional investment to address water, sewage and transport pressures, but said it had to be delivered in a way that respects the democratic process. She warned that the proposed development corporation would have “exceptional planning powers” and could reduce the ability of local people to shape the future of the city while protecting its nature and character.
The council also pointed to the scale of the body being proposed. According to its statement, the development corporation could become the local planning authority for all planning decisions above 250 homes, while the existing Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service might retain only smaller housing schemes and commercial buildings below 5,000 square metres. It said the corporation would also take over local plan-making once the current joint local plan process is complete.
The consultation analysis shows the debate split sharply by sector. Among individuals, 68% were opposed or mostly opposed to the corporation, while private sector respondents were largely supportive, with 81% supportive or conditionally supportive. Local government bodies were more evenly divided, but opposition remained significant, especially on the question of whether the corporation should take over planning powers.
The government says it will try to strengthen local participation through new engagement structures and board representation for local leaders, including councillors and the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It also says the corporation will work with local design review panels and consult communities as it develops plans.
Still, the core tension remains unchanged: ministers want a stronger mechanism to unlock growth, while councils and many residents fear that a centrally led body could override local accountability. uk/local/cambridge-city-council/">Cambridge City Council says future arrangements will need “great care” if they are to reassure, rather than alarm, those who took part in the consultation.
