City benefits beyond city boundaries

Cambridge is a city that defies simple categorisation. It is both ancient and futuristic, local at heart but global in influence. For centuries, its university has drawn the brightest minds from across the world; more recently, its tech and life sciences sectors have made it a magnet for global capital.

Dominic Bryant was appointed Head of Development in Carter Jonas’s Cambridge office in February. Dominic has worked in the East of England for 9 years and is acutely aware of Cambridge’s huge potential.

“Cambridge, specifically the city’s role within Cambridgeshire, is unique,” says Dominic. “If you look at many areas within the region – a pertinent example is Bedfordshire where I grew up, just 30 miles away – it’s village locations that command the house price premium, while the urban areas are more affordable. Here, it’s the opposite – a city where house prices are out of reach for many, surrounded by areas of relative affordability. Especially as you head north into the Fens, you see a massive drop-off in prices just a few miles outside the city. In many ways this works well – enabling people to occupy more space while still benefitting from the cultural and social features that Cambridge excels in – but it also means that Cambridge itself is inaccessible for first time buyers and young families, increasing commuting times and costs.”

The gravitational pull of the centre

Part of Cambridge’s gravitational pull, Dominic says, is due to the type of cities it competes with. “Cambridge is in the same bracket as Oxford and London – a top university city which competes globally. The companies that are based here, particularly in science and technology, are not choosing between UK cities. They’re choosing between Cambridge and Boston, Beijing, or San Francisco.”

That unique international profile makes Cambridge the perfect platform for future growth. Both the previous Conservative and current Labour administrations have identified Cambridge as central to their growth ambitions and currently the city, home to just 150,000, is set to expand by 250,000 new homes.

The potential gains are considerable. “If Cambridge achieves the government’s objectives,” says Dominic, “It’s not delivering housing. It is anticipated to generate over £5 billion in economic activity, support 17,000 jobs a year, deliver £1 billion in affordable housing investment, £145 million in infrastructure, £65 million of that in schools, and over £650 million in local spending. This is the power of well-planned growth.”

Unique challenges

The practical reality of growth, he concedes, is the sticking point. “Cambridge is constrained in ways that most cities aren’t. It’s got a tightly drawn Green Belt. It’s got an historic core that’s highly protected – and rightly so. And it’s got relatively poor intra-city transport, limited space, and huge demand pressures. There’s no easy expansion plan.”

One of the more curious quirks of Cambridge is the location of its main railway station – not, as in many cities, close to the historic centre, but a good 15-minute walk south. “There’s a long-standing rumour that the University deliberately put the station on the edge of town to make it harder for students to get to London,” says Dominic. “Whether or not it’s true, it’s a bit of an insight into the extent of the university’s influence and the way the university has historically shaped the city’s layout. The global reputation of the university is what has set Cambridge apart historically, and will continue to do so.”

Today, the station area, where Carter Jonas is located alongside some high-profile companies and some great facilities, is among the relatively few locations where significant growth has been possible. “The CB1 development has brought new homes, offices and a transformed public realm. It’s become a model of sustainable urbanism,” Dominic says, “With modern, sustainable office spaces, public squares, cafés, good cycle and pedestrian access – and next to a 45-minute rail link to London. That’s why Carter Jonas, along with companies including Amazon and Microsoft, have made it their home.”

Yet this kind of success story is limited by the city’s transport structure. “The opportunity to redevelop CB1 only came about because of the unusual location of the station. There are very few other sites like this one. And despite the significant improvements to the public realm, the distance remains the same. Getting people from the station into the centre is still a challenge – the road network is congested and public transport isn’t what it needs to be. If we’re serious about growth, we have to solve the last-mile problem.”

A tale of three stations

From the point of view of reaching Cambridge, the good news is that there is now more than one station. Cambridge North, opened in 2017, is already catalysing change. “It’s a massive opportunity,” says Dominic. “Just like CB1 but bigger: new offices, new homes, new public spaces.”

Further south, a further station, Cambridge South station, is under construction, providing direct access to the growing biomedical campus and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. “Again, this is an area where we’ll see substantial growth. We’re seeing planning permissions follow infrastructure; the connectivity into Cambridge makes these prime sites.”

What’s missing, he says, is the network to connect these nodes. “In Nottingham, the tramline transformed how people got around. It even opened up new areas for leisure and nightlife. We need something similar here. Proposals for a congestion charge and a light railway have failed to get political support, but as the population of Cambridge increases there will only be greater pressure on the existing infrastructure.”

Beyond the city

Looking beyond Cambridge, Dominic sees huge potential in the county, if the right infrastructure and policy decisions are made. “People already commute from Ely, Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds. And they will travel further – from Chatteris, March – if the transport links are there. Ultimately, East West Rail will provide a fast, direct route from Milton Keynes and other towns west of Cambridge including Bedford and Cambourne.”

Despite these existing and potential connections, Dominic notes, Cambridgeshire’s railway connection is poorly interlinked across the county. “To extend the benefits of Cambridge across the county we need new and improved transport corridors – both to Cambridge and around it. That’s where devolution and strategic planning come in.”

The potential for new settlements is part of that picture. “The county already has Cambourne, Northstowe, Waterbeach – and there are more former RAF bases that could be repurposed. But as the Centre for British Progress has identified, new settlements should be delivered in locations to relieve existing demand for homes and employment and make the best use of existing and committed infrastructure.

“It’s about scale and context. Perhaps there needs to be a greater understanding that while Cambridge’s reputation is substantial, is never going to be a mega-city in terms of its size – the centre will remain compact and that’s part of what makes it special.”

The role of planning

For all this potential, Dominic is frank about the challenges facing the development industry – and the planning system in particular. “Planning departments at local authorities are under-resourced. In some cases, it can take years to progress from outline permission to reserved matters and start on site. And housing associations are under strain, which is affecting delivery of affordable homes.”

There is a case for the government to provide some stimulus to the housing market, although it will be reluctant not to be seen to artificially inflate house prices when so many people already struggle to afford homes. “Cambridge is a young city and popular with families but the Help to Buy scheme has come to an end and first time buyers are struggling to get mortgages. Additionally, developers are facing increasing build costs, requirements to deliver a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain (some authorities are seeking a greater gain) and ever-increasing regulatory requirements not least those being rolled out in relation to the Building Safety Act.”

Despite these pressures on delivery, Dominic is confident that Cambridge and the surrounding area remains a strong location for residential development and investment. “Cambridge will always command high values. That’s the reality of supply and demand. But what we can do is ensure the benefits of growth are shared more widely beyond the city itself – through good infrastructure, well-planned settlements and investment in communities.”

A vision for a balanced future

Given the limitations for development in the historic core – one which is dominated by the university first, followed and culture and shopping, with little space for new infrastructure – the idea of the 15-minute city is one is well suited to Cambridgeshire. “This model fits the geography well. Unlike so many cities, there’s less of an imperative to save the high street from decline; yet the settlements further away from the city, and especially villages to the north, would benefit from an investment in local services.”

Carter Jonas is currently involved in plans for Cambridge’s historic Guildhall Square. This is part of a wider initiative to evolve the city’s public realm without losing its unique identity – a reminder of the fact that the centre of Cambridge will never be a candidate for wholescale redevelopment. “It’s not a sea-change,” says Dominic, “But a careful adjustment – making spaces work better, making the city more liveable.”

And that, ultimately, is part of the balancing act. Growth must not come at the expense of heritage – but neither can heritage be an excuse not to grow. “Cambridge is a global city, with global potential. But it’s also a local place, with local challenges. If we get the planning right, we can build a city that works better for everyone and make the ‘ripple effect’ benefit of the wider county. Transport infrastructure, both within and beyond Cambridge, will be key to achieving that.”