The Eastern Powerhouse welcomes the Government's proposals to turn Cambridge into Britain’s Silicon Valley, with as many as 250,000 new homes built over the next two decades and the prospect of billions of pounds of investment. This is precisely the scale of ambition and investment which the Eastern Powerhouse has been calling for.
The concept of 'Cambridge 2040' outlined by Secretary of State Michael Gove, will form a vital part of the Government's plan to fix England’s housing crisis and unleash growth in the life sciences and technology sectors. There are constraints to further development in and around Cambridge, and there may well be some local opposition to these plans for housing growth. However, by investing in transport solutions, housing can be delivered in East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Norfolk, and Suffolk which would ensure the development of Greater Cambridge and allow the region to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.
Silicon Valley is built across a large area in the southern parts of the San Francisco Bay. Silicon East can also deliver across a wider area in a similar way, helping to distribute the benefits of growth around our towns and cities and along major development corridors. It is therefore vital that transport schemes and railway upgrades are delivered across the region to take advantage of the Cambridge phenomenon. We believe that the vision for Silicon East can only be delivered with the right infrastructure investment.
The Eastern Powerhouse will write to Secretary of State Michael Gove today, suggesting that we discuss his concept when we meet, as proposed by the Prime Minister earlier this year.
ENDS
For further comment or interview requests, please contact:
Mike Mavrommatis External Affairs Eastern Powerhouse
M: 07983 242135