£400m of government funding for transport and housing in Cambridge
Cambridge has secured the second round of City Deal funding worth up to £400m.
Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) - which was formerly known as the Greater Cambridge City Deal - announced that the government had unlocked the money, which will fund transport infrastructure, housing delivery and skills programmes.
The decision follows a government review of the GCP’s progress since the initial £100m investment in 2015.
Cllr Aidan Van de Weyer, GCP chair, said: “Over the last five years we have clearly demonstrated that we have laid the foundations for economic transformation – including developing detailed proposals for dedicated cycling and public transport routes that will form the first phase of the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro.
“We’ve already delivered significant upgrades to cycling links and construction is now underway on the Chisholm Trail and Histon Road improvement schemes. We also launched the Greater Cambridge Apprenticeship service to help more people into work.
“But now, with the government’s support and as we move through the Covid-19 pandemic, we must crack on and deliver our transformative schemes that will unlock homes, jobs and secure long-term quality of life for people in Greater Cambridge.”
Cllr Lewis Herbert, leader of Cambridge City Council and a member of the Greater Cambridge Executive Partnership Board since 2015, said: “The government’s confirmation that the GCP will receive the next round of transport investment will be a major boost for economic recovery across Cambridge, including long term improvements to public transport and wider city travel and cycling.
“Working with partners, the GCP can now develop all four of its planned fast public transport routes over the next few years, help local companies rebuild and expand to create jobs, and bring forward badly needed investment in new affordable housing in and near the city, as well as lay strong foundations for the full CAM Metro scheme in the future.”
In writing to confirm that GCP had passed the review, Simon Clarke MP, minister for regional growth and local government, said: “We are pleased to see that GCP has made significant progress on its investments over the last five years and are grateful for your work on this.”
The GCP said it had made significant progress on a range of schemes since the £500m City Deal was first struck with government in 2015, including:
- Construction has resumed on the Histon Road scheme, which will create a new bus lane and significantly improved walking and cycleways to make it quicker and easier for people to travel into the city from the A14.
- The Abbey Chesterton Bridge – a key part of the Chisholm Trail that will provide a mainly off-road walking and cycleway link between Cambridge Station and Cambridge North – has now been delivered to Stourbridge Common ahead of installation later this year.
- Upgrades to the proposed Greater Cambridge Greenways network, and Cross City Cycling schemes have been opened
- Hundreds of additional parking spaces have been added to the Trumpington Park & Ride, with plans for a new travel hub to help thousands of people who drive into Cambridge from the M11 cycle or take public transport into the city.
- The UK’s first Citizens Assembly to debate transport issues was held in Cambridge
- Providing more than £400,000, in partnership with Stagecoach, to introduce the first fully electric buses into service in Greater Cambridge.
- About 900 people have completed apprenticeships, helping even more people into work.
The extra funding will now help the GCP push ahead with:
- Delivering four CAM corridors (subject to business cases and relevant approvals) - Cambridge South East Transport Scheme, Cambourne to Cambridge [the guided bus plans], Eastern Access, Waterbeach to Cambridge North.
- Delivering public transport schemes, including Histon Road, Milton Road, the West of Cambridge package.
- Delivering cycling schemes including the Chisholm Trail and 12 Greater Cambridge Greenways.
- Funding a package of measures to improve city access.
- Funding towards enhancing the energy-grid capacity across Greater Cambridge, to prevent access to the grid obstructing growth.
For more information about the GCP, visit greatercambridge.org.uk.
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