The national significance and wider planning context of the event was underscored by the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook. The Deputy Prime Minister called for “build, build, build,” while Minister Pennycook emphasised that, through its planning reforms, Government has created the conditions for growth - and it is now up to developers to seize the opportunity and deliver.
The small CGC team - Peter Freeman, Beth Dugdale, Harry Jones and Steve McAdam – participated in a wide range of activities across the three days, including panel discussions hosted within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) and Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor pavilions. Among other topics, the panels discussed how growth plans could impact positively on established communities, as well as approaches to placemaking and ensuring that social value is embedded in future plans.
Peter Freeman and Beth Dugdale also took part in strategic meetings with developers and investors focused on the Growth Corridor and engaged in discussions on the future of new towns with both private and public sector stakeholders. They also contributed to debates on how science and technology are shaping the built environment, alongside representatives from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and British Land.
The Government Knowledge Hub hosted a series of panel discussions exploring reforms to the planning system and other regulatory frameworks aimed at removing constraints and accelerating growth. Prior + Partners, members of CGC’s consultant team working on the Evidence Base, launched Planning Positively for the Future. The recommendations set out in this report are intended to inform the Government’s approach to strategic planning and specifically preparation of Spatial Development Strategies. The Group has worked with government officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) amongst others in its preparation.
Planning for next year begins soon, when it is expected CGC will be able to describe key elements of its vision for sustainable spatial and economic growth for Greater Cambridge.
Steve McAdam
Cambridge Growth Company
