Oxbridge growth corridor 'to add £78bn to economy'

Proposals to link up Oxford and Cambridge will add up to £78bn to the UK economy by 2035, the chancellor has claimed.

Connecting the university cities could create "Europe's Silicon Valley", Rachel Reeves said in her speech in Oxfordshire.

The government wants thousands of homes and better transport links to be developed in the area between the cities.

The chancellor also supported the construction of Abingdon Reservoir, though the 4.5 sq-mile (7sq km) project continues to be met with strong local opposition.

Speaking at Siemens Healthineers in Eynsham the chancellor said the two university cities "offer huge economic potential for our nation's growth prospects".

"Just 66 miles apart, these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world, two of the most intensive innovation clusters in the world, and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms in life sciences, manufacturing, and AI.

"It has the potential to be Europe's Silicon Valley. The home of British innovation.

"To grow, these world-class companies need world-class talent who should be able to get to work quickly and find somewhere to live in the local area.

"But to get from Oxford to Cambridge by train takes two-and-a-half hours.

"Oxford and Cambridge are two of the least affordable cities in the UK. In other words, the demand is there but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth in the region."

The announcements include:

• Nine new reservoirs, such as Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge and the Abingdon Reservoir

• Funding for East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes

• The development of new and expanded communities in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor

• A new Growth Commission for Oxford

• Appointment of Sir Patrick Vallance as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor champion to ensure the Government's ambitions are delivered

Reacting to the speech, Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said the newly-announced Growth Commission would bring together central government, local authorities, businesses and universities to "tackle the barriers to economic growth".

She added it would help the city "realise its full potential" and create secure "well-paid jobs for our children and grandchildren".

Professor Alistair Fitt, chair of Arc Universities Group and vice chancellor at Oxford Brookes University, said the region "hosts a great diversity and scale of universities".

"Together we offer a wide range of key contributions: globally renowned research brilliance, the powerhouse of skills provision provided by cutting edge teaching, world-class knowledge transfer and commercialisation," he said.

Professor Irene Tracey, Oxford University's vice chancellor, said the plans would "unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor".

She said: "The Oxford-Cambridge region is a powerhouse of innovation and an economic crown jewel, driven by world-leading universities that spin-out as well as attract globally pioneering companies."

Matthew Pennycook, the minister of state for housing and planning, said the government was "determined to do what's necessary to drive sustainable economic growth in the region to the benefit of local communities and national prosperity".

He also said the Growth Commission would "explore how we can best unlock and accelerate nationally significant growth for the city and the surrounding area", and that Culham research site would be the country's first "AI Growth Zone".

In a joint statement Oxfordshire's MPs, Liberal Democrats Layla Moran, Olly Glover, Charlie Maynard, Freddie van Mierlo and Calum Miller said they were "pleased to hear the government's ambition to unleash our county's potential".

"But growth needs to come along with huge investment in critical infrastructure," they added.

"We need urgent action to fix our crumbling sewage system, support already overstretched GP and dentistry services, improve the electricity grid, and boost the active travel and rail network.

"So we're pleased to see the government's commitment to East West Rail, but there is much further to go."

Lisa Warne, director of CPRE Oxfordshire, said the countryside charity had "grave concerns about Labour's growth agenda, whether this is growth in housing, wind farms or reservoirs".

While she welcomed plans for affordable homes and renewable energy, she said it could not be "at the expense of the countryside" and urged the government to build on brownfield sites.

She called the announcement "nothing but a rehash of old policies".

But Derek Stork, the chair of the Group against Reservoir Development, said the reservoir plans included in the announcement would be a "diversion of resources".

"What we need is infrastructure fixing our leakages, and we need infrastructure to fix the sewage pollution that companies like Thames Water are dumping in our rivers."

Sally Povolotsky, a district councillor who represents Steventon and the Hanneys, said the government was "ignoring the thousands of voices" who had taken part in a consultation.

"This is just absolute insanity that the government can come along and kibosh everyone's rights to be able to speak and have their voice heard."

Thames Water welcomed the government's plans which it said would secure the water supply for 15m people.

"It will also enable us to meet the challenges ahead, such as a growing population and the effects of climate change.

"We've also committed to halving leakage by 2050 and reducing demand for water." it added.

Rachel Reeves announced the plans alongside a series of other major infrastructure projects, including plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Bethan Nimmo, BBC Oxford political reporter, said the announcement could mean "a real boost for jobs and prosperity".

"The pressure is on to build more homes - and build them faster - as well as lab spaces and offices for the kind of companies that will drive this growth."

"At the same time, many will look at all the green fields in Oxfordshire and wonder how many of those will make it to the other side of this kind of growth boom," she added.

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