Who Decides Cambridge's Future?

This is a critical time for Cambridge and its surrounding area as the Government is in the process of imposing an unelected body - the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation - on the city region. On Monday, 23rd March Cambridge Past Present and Future hosted a discussion (the recording is available here: ‘Who Decides Cambridge’s Future’ ) and FotC’s steering group member (and Chair of FeCRA) Wendy Blythe was on the panel. 

Apart from the democratic deficit of having planning decisions being taken by this appointed body, it will also have the capacity to compulsorily purchase land in order to create the development the Government is demanding of this drought prone, heating, and flood prone area of the country. Friends of the Cam made a submission (document attached) to the public ‘consultation’ regarding the GCDC which closed on April 1st.  In this we challenged the notion of building growth as a long term plan in an area immensely vulnerable to global heating - causing drought and innundation (as Rob Larter’s talk to FotC demonstrated last year - see link on our web pages).