History
The Cambridge Growth Company (CGC) was established by government in 2024 to address barriers to growth and help unlock Greater Cambridge’s full potential.
As a subsidiary of Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, the CGC works to unlock and accelerate development and deliver the homes, jobs, and infrastructure needed for long-term, sustainable growth.
On the 30 October 2024, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook MP, appointed Peter Freeman to chair the CGC. At the same time, the government also committed £10m of funding to enable the CGC to develop an ambitious plan for the housing, transport, water, and wider infrastructure Cambridge needs to realise its full potential.
The CGC is guided by an Advisory Council consisting of local leaders and experts who providing insight, challenge and guidance to ensure our work reflects local priorities. (see the signed Memorandum of Understanding between CGC and the Advisory Council).
What we've achieved so far
Working alongside partners, we are advancing near-term priorities to accelerate and ublock key development opportunities already identified.
This includes:- Working with Homes England, government departments, local partners and the Cambridge Water Scarcity Group, we have helped unlock planning applications for over 9,000 homes and 528,000 sqm of commercial space.
- Coordinating investment and enabling infrastructure to accelerate progress on key stalled sites, including:
- £3 million to support a new model of emergency care and preparatory work for a future acute hospital at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
- £23 million in recoverable funding (via Homes England) for the relocation of Waterbeach Station.
- £7.2 million to advance the Cambridge South East Transport (CSET) project.
Alongside near-term delivery, the CGC has commissioned Buro Happold and Prior + Partners to develop the evidence base for a long-term strategy for housing, employment space and infrastructure across Greater Cambridge.
Next Steps
On 4 February 2026, the government launched a public consultation on its proposal to establish a Development Corporation for Greater Cambridge. This consultation provides an opportunity for local communities, businesses and organisations to share their views on how growth in the area should be planned and delivered in the years ahead.
The consultation will run for eight weeks and will close on 1 April 2026.
After the consultation closes, the Government will review all responses and publish a summary alongside its response, setting out the next steps. Any decision to establish a Development Corporation would require further legislation and Parliamentary scrutiny.
If the government decides to establish a Development Corporation, it is expected that the Cambridge Growth Company would transition into the proposed Development Corporation.
More information about the consultation can be found here.