EA backs growth and lifts its objections to Cambridge expansion
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
The Environment Agency has lifted its objections to new development in Cambridge, “following this Government’s intervention to address water scarcity,” chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed last week as part of her growth speech.
She said 4,500 additional homes; new schools; and new office, retail and laboratory space can be built now that the Government has agreed Water Resource Management Plans unlocking £7.9bn of investment in 2025-30. These include the South East Strategic Reservoir being led by Thames Water, and the Fens Reservoir being developed by Anglian Water.
The comments came as part of the announcement that the Ox-Cam Arc plan will be revived, now badged as the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and to be championed by Lord Patrick Vallance. This will include road and rail improvements, potentially with multiple new towns along the route (Reeves said “18 submissions for sizeable new developments” have been made); a new cancer hospital and university innovation hub in Cambridge; and an AI Growth Zone near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. In all, the corridor could add up to £78bn to the UK economy by 2025, Reeves said.
The speech detailed many other growth plans, including a third runway at Heathrow.
• In a letter published last week, chief executive Philip Duffy set out how the Environment Agency could adopt a new approach to ensure its regulations support economic growth. He said the next 12 months will see the Agency drive sustainable growth in five key ares:
Improving its land use planning services.
Making its permitting services more efficient and effective for key growth sectors, such as water, net zero and waste.
Creating a more transparent data system for its regulation.
Supporting the Government’s approach to strategic spatial planning.
Working with Government to reform the regulatory framework.
Duffy asked for government support in exchange on funding, transforming its outdated IT systems, increasing regulatory flexibility and reducing the complexity of green legislation. For details, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-growth-through-regulatory-reform-response-from-environment-agency-ceo-to-the-prime-minister
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