Refloating the Arc - Introduction

The Oxford Cambridge Arc

• The Oxford to Cambridge Arc spans both urban and agricultural land at approximately a 50 miles radius from London. The core Arc is formed of a proposed new transport corridor that encompasses not only Oxford and Cambridge but also the major centres of Milton Keynes and Bedford. However, the wider Arc area includes 23 local planning authorities and the other statutory bodies. It has a population of 3.8 million and includes a number of specialised industry clusters in addition to world leading universities.

• The Oxford Cambridge Arc initiative was originally launched in 2003 by three English regional development agencies with the objective to develop the unique characteristics of the Arc with world renowned educational attributes coupled with a dynamic and fast-growing research and development sector.

• Oxford and Cambridge have an outstanding track record of attracting employers, talent and innovation on a global scale and the Arc accounted for 5.9% of the UK’s economic output (GVA) in 2019. Collectively, the Arc has witnessed an impressive 25% economic growth between 2009-18 and ranks amongst the highest growth areas within the UK. The area’s capacity to further increase its contribution is clearly evident although a number of hurdles exist which are detailed within the report.

• While the concept of a combined and collective Arc has received much publicity, our report looks into the mechanics of the area and how it currently functions. Its strengths and weaknesses are examined and the opportunities, locations and capacity for further development to enable functioning as a coherent and combined area are explored.