What will Cambridge look like in 20 years time? A lot of people are trying to shape that future, with plans around homes, jobs, transport, and the environment.

Not only are councils and other authorities in Cambridgeshire trying to put together plans, but there is also national interest from the government on what the city’s future will look like.

New plans and projects keep coming forward, and while some get dropped – for example the CAM Metro – others continue to be progressed, such as the proposed congestion charge and new bus network.

Growth and development in the city does raise concerns for some around how it will impact the environment and water supply, as well as maintaining Cambridge’s historic assets.

With plans coming forward from many different places – including from councils, the government, a train company, and the Greater Cambridge Partnership – here is a round up of some of the major projects currently being worked on, that could transform Cambridge over the next 20 years.

‘Making Connections’ project – including the congestion charge

The ‘Making Connections’ project and the proposed congestion charge is one of the more controversial proposals that has come forward in recent years.

The plans have been put together by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which is made up of representatives from the city council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, as well as university and businesses representatives.

The original proposals put forward by the GCP included a new bus network, stretching out from the city centre connecting to places as far as Haverhill, Royston, Biggleswade, St Neots, Huntington, Littleport, and Newmarket.

The GCP has said more frequent buses would run on the network, whilst also offering cheaper fares, with a £1 flat fare in the city and a £2 flat fare in the wider network.

Alongside this bus network the GCP also proposed to invest in other sustainable travel schemes, such as improving cycling and walking routes.

The plans included creating a ‘Sustainable Travel Zone’ in the city, where a congestion charge would apply for drivers.

The initial plans set out that a £5 weekday road charge would apply for drivers travelling in the city between 7am and 7pm.

A number of exemptions and discounts to the charge were proposed, including for people with a Blue Badge, and those on low incomes.

The charge was proposed to help reduce congestion in the city, and help fund the improved bus network. The GCP has committed to introducing improved public transport, before implementing any charge.

However, these proposals are expected to be adapted, after thousands of people responded to a consultation about the plans.

Of those who responded 70 per cent said they were in favour of the proposed transport network improvements, but 58 per cent opposed the congestion charge itself.

The GCP agreed to look at ways to adapt the scheme and new proposals are expected to be set out later this year.

‘Cambridge 2040’ – the government vision for Cambridge

One of the latest announcements to drive change in Cambridge is the government’s ‘Cambridge 2040’ plans.

Early reports suggested the government wanted to turn Cambridge into the “Silicon Valley of Europe”, and could build up to 250,000 new homes.

Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, did go on to officially confirm the government’s intention to see more development in the area, but did not specify exactly how many new homes could be built.

The government said it wanted to create a “new urban quarter” in the city. The city council had already planned for the North East Cambridge development on the site of the existing sewage works – which Anglian Water is in the process of applying for permission to move.

Under these plans the area could see over 8,000 new homes and around 15,000 jobs created.

The government also said it wanted to “supercharge” Cambridge as “Europe’s science capital”, and appointed the former developer and head of Homes England, Peter Freeman, to lead a Cambridge Delivery Group, which is tasked with delivering its vision for the city.

The government plans were met with concern in the area, from across political parties.

East West Rail

The East West Rail project aims to create a new rail link between Oxford and Cambridge.

Earlier this year the company announced its preferred choice for the new rail line route between Bedford and Cambridge, including creating new stations in Tempsford and Cambourne.

It is hoped the new rail line will shorten travel times, reduce congestion on the area’s road, as well as ‘opening up new areas for businesses to grow’.

The project has been met with backlash from some over the choice of the southern route for approaching the city.

The company has recently been holding a number of public events to discuss the latest route announcement, where mixed views on the proposals were shared.

East West Rail still needs to apply for a Development Consent Order to get permission to build the new railway, during which the plans will be examined and people will have the chance to share their views with the planning inspectorate.

Oxford-Cambridge Partnership

The Oxford-Cambridge Partnership is the organisation that emerged from the original OxCam Arc established by the government.

The new organisation is led by organisations and authorities in the Oxford to Cambridge region and hopes to “champion” the area as a “world leader of innovation and businesses”.

The Partnership has also said the environment is a priority for it, as well as making sure growth is “inclusive”.

The main way the group appears to want to achieve its mission to “secure a future in which communities prosper from the very best in environmentally sustainable ways of living and working” is through encouraging joint working and coordination of partner authorities.

At this stage the Partnership does not appear to be spearheading any specific projects of its own.

Greater Cambridge Local Plan

All councils that are responsible for planning have to put together a local plan to guide future development in the area.

Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council are both working on a joint local plan for the Greater Cambridge area.

The plan aims to set out where new jobs and homes are created over the coming years, and how these will be supported.

The authorities had forecast that 51,800 new homes were needed between 2020 and 2024, and predicted that the number of jobs created in the area would be 66,600.

Local plans take years to complete and adopt. The joint local plan has been a couple years in the works, with the first proposals being published in 2021 – before the government announced its own plans for creating a new development vision for the city.