OCTOBER 2001 BROADSHEET - The Future Shape of Cambridge
At our meeting on 27th September Wyndham Thomas, CBE, took the chair with seasoned expertise, having been involved with new town development at Peterborough and on the planning of the London Docklands. We starterd with Jonathan Burroughs' of Bidwells appraisal of the housing situation. Already Cambridge has far more jobs than available people resident in the city and this is going to get much worse now that the government has declared the Cambridge sub-region as a technology world leader on which UK plc is dependent for its future prosperity. He indicated where some 22,000 new dwellings could be located in greater Cambridge which included Huntingdon, Ely, Newmarket, Haverhill and Royston.
As we all know the University is the main spring for this phenomenon and they are taking a much more positive view of the build up of population and industry, as are the city fathers, not noted for their enthusiasm in the past. Mark Vigor, Head of Strategic Planning for Cambridgeshire set out the framework for future development in which accelerated implementation was the goal. Even so the consultation papers, to be returned by the end of February would not be fully examined until the end of 2002, for adoption and execution in 2003.
Alan Joyner of J J Gallagher Estates completed the picture from the transportation viewpoint. He reckoned that the superCAM rapid transit system between St Ives and Trumpington would be in place by 2006. Together with Stagecoach and Railtrack they were examining systems in Europe and were impressed with the guided three carriage busses in Strasbourg.
Questions came thick and fast and a lively discussion ensued. It was regretted that the lack of a unitary authority had led to so many missed opportunities and that individual councils had used their veto far too easily. The record of the last 40 years pointed to a dismal prospect, but it was hoped that the improved national status of Cambridge would enlighten the minds of the those now in power. To question our speakers further they can be e-mailed as follows:- jburroughs@bidwells.co.uk, mark.vigor@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and alan.joyner@jjgallagher.co.uk.
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