About Us

We are fighting to stop over-development from the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

The Oxford to Cambridge Arc is a project to grow the region’s economy through development. It seeks to create an English ‘Silicon Valley’. Five counties would be affected: Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.

The Oxford to Cambridge Arc is being driven and promoted by the Oxford to Cambridge Partnership, a pan-regional partnership. Its stated goal is to ‘accelerate economic opportunities created through the region's innovation strengths to achieve significant environmental enhancements and to unlock investment for inclusive, high quality sustainable development’. Supporters of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc include land-owning universities, expansionist local authorities, larger housebuilders, and domestic and foreign speculators.

Although a rail line for the region, East West Rail, has been proposed, we believe the Arc will result in car-dependent housing and urban sprawl. We are not against house building. But we support new housing of the right kind and in the right location, such as at brownfield sites which often come with pre-existing infrastructure. Brownfield sites can also help with community regeneration.

We want to protect the region’s countryside and its wildlife for the health and enjoyment of future generations.

We are a non-political campaign group.

Our Beginnings…

The Stop the Arc Group began life as the No Expressway Group, a non-political community group which was started in Horton-cum-Studley in March, 2018. The group was formed to fight the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway that threatened to cross the unique wetlands of Otmoor and the ancient forest of Bernwood, destroying the environment and its inhabitants. Initially we focused on awareness raising and supporting the Save Otmoor campaign.

After the preferred corridor was announced in September 2018 we broadened our campaign to include group members from several local villages and with strong links with groups and Parish Councils across Oxon and Bucks. In late 2018 we changed our name from the Horton-cum-Studley Expressway Group, to the No Expressway Group, to reflect more accurately our purpose and group members. In 2019-2020 we supported local groups set up in Brill, Chearsley, Chilton, Long Crendon, Marsh Gibbon, Oakley, Oddington, Woburn Sands and Worminghall. We believe local groups are most effective at mobilising their local communities. By working together we can run a stronger campaign.

The Ox-Cam Expressway was (finally!) officially cancelled in March 2021. But the threat of over-development has not gone away, and all other plans for the Arc are still in play (plus a Replacement Road Service from England’s Economic Heartland!).

In 2021 we changed our campaign name to reflect this new reality. Welcome to the Stop the Arc Group!

Stop the Arc becomes a Community Benefit Society, February 2022

In 2022 the Stop the Arc Group became a Community Benefit Society (Reg. No. 8806) with charitable status giving us limited liability (to prevent people from suing us for telling the truth about the Ox-Cam Arc!). You can read our governance rules as accepted by the Financial Conduct Authority here.

The Stop the Arc Group Ltd. is run for the benefit of its Members, from among whom are elected a Board of Trustees (Directors). The Board has an elected Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary and they and the other Trustees have fixed terms of office, at the end of which they may be re-elected to continue, or replaced by other Members.

The current Trustees of Stop the Arc are Charles Pither (Chair), Nick Burton, Roger Carey, William Harrold, Ann Henman, Terry Pollard (Vice Chair) and David Rogers (Secretary).

Membership of the Stop the Arc Group is available to anyone who supports the objectives of the campaign. We are required by Community Benefit Society rules to charge a small fee for membership and to keep a list of members for periodic reporting purposes. Lifetime Membership costs only £1 and you can sign up here. Our charitable status allows us to claim tax back on all donations; for this we need to ask for your address and post-code and whether or not you are a UK taxpayer.

Your information is stored safely and will only be used in connection with the Stop the Arc campaign. You can read our data privacy policy here

Our Aims

There was no need for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, now cancelled, and there is still no need for the over-inflated housing targets still associated with the Ox-Cam Arc plans. We will actively campaign against them, and support other organisations with the same objectives.

Our environment is a national asset which should be protected for all us, our health and well-being. This is a national and not just a local issue.

We will also fight to protect the Otmoor and Bernwood Forest ecosystems (“Greater Otmoor”), now and for future generations, and strive to educate people about the threats to our countryside posed by the proposed Ox-Cam Arc developments.

We support new housing of the right kind and in the right location, but not growth in Oxon of >100%, in Bucks/Beds of 66%, in Northants of 74% and in Cambs of 81% by 2050.

We will fight to protect our countryside and its wildlife for the health and enjoyment of all future generations.

Stronger Together!

We think we are stronger when we share information and work with other groups.

Our group started as a result of information in the local parish newsletter from one of our local Councillors and a presentation at a village meeting from the Expressway Action Group (EAG).

As we developed we worked with other groups raising awareness of Ox-Cam Arc issues, including the Buckinghamshire Environment Action Group (BEAG), and, for East-West Rail developments, Cambridge Approaches (CA) and Bedford For A Re-Consultation (BFARe).

We also share information, ideas and work with the Oxford POETS, CPRE, BBOWT, RSPB and others.