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The Greater Cambridge City Deal recognised the relationship between housing and economic growth, and that the shortage of available and affordable housing within Greater Cambridge has an impact on house prices, commuting patterns, and recruitment and retention of employees. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal committed to delivering substantial economic growth and to double economic output during the next 25 years. The 2018 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) identified that recent employment growth has been faster than anticipated, and the aim of doubling economic output in the area by 2040 was realistic. It was suggested in CPIER that economic growth could be achieved by attracting knowledge-intensive businesses that would not locate elsewhere in the UK, by delivering new housing, and by prioritising infrastructure projects. The National Infrastructure Commission, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership acknowledge and support the economic growth potential of the Greater Cambridge area, and consider that there is a need to substantially increase housing delivery in order to support that economic growth and address the significant housing affordability issues that exist. At present there is an imbalance between rates of economic growth and housing delivery in Greater Cambridge.

All these factors support a significantly higher number of homes than are proposed in the preferred ‘medium plus’ growth option of Policy S/JH. It is considered that the ‘medium plus’ growth option makes insufficient upward adjustments to the housing requirement (from Section Id.2a of the Planning Practice Guidance) to take into account growth strategies, strategic infrastructure improvements and housing affordability in Greater Cambridgeshire. The ‘medium plus’ growth option also does not reflect the anticipated growth aspirations of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc Spatial Framework, or that the economic success of Greater Cambridge is of national significance.

If this does not happen, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NW Bio) are concerned that this could result in severe difficulties recruiting talent for the knowledge based jobs that NW Bio is creating in the Cambridge area. NW Bio is already experiencing difficulty with recruitment due to the lack of housing availability in the Cambridge area and the necessity for long commutes to jobs in this area. In addition, the situation will lead to a drain companies from Cambridge and the wider region, not because of lack of interest or commitment but because they are forced to relocate in order to grow and thrive. At present, the growth of Cambridge is being constrained and this is limiting job creation and innovation. There is a lack of good quality specialised laboratory space, resources and housing to support expanding employment opportunities. This is in comparison to the new biotech and technology hubs that are being created or expanded in Oxford and Manchester, as well as elsewhere in the UK, Europe, US and China.

NW Bio’s experience is that cutting edge regenerative medicine companies are investing heavily in key areas such as manufacturing and product development, to build new manufacturing facilities and core competencies in the UK. However, most of the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities have been in geographic areas such as Oxford and the South East (London, Surrey etc).

Despite AstraZeneca choosing to invest in infrastructure investment for research in the Cambridge area, the number of other companies investing into Cambridge has been very limited, often starting in the UK but rapidly moving to the US. NW Bio consider that this is because of a perception that the US is a more favourable market for investment, new facilities and job creation, as well as innovation and embracing risk.

In order to reverse the talent and company drain described above, it is suggested that the emerging GCLP should have selected the higher growth level option to support economic growth, address housing affordability, and reduce in-commuting. The higher growth level option will require infrastructure funding, but there are existing transport improvements already planned for Greater Cambridge and further investment in infrastructure (e.g. water and electricity) will need to be secured as part of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

Requested Change

It is requested that housing and jobs requirements in Policy S/JH be based on the higher growth level option.