PRESS RELEASE: Campaigners question thoroughness of review
For immediate release
PRESS RELEASE
Following the reported assertions of Grant Shapps that he had consulted widely regarding whether the target of one million houses across the Oxford to Cambridge Arc could still be delivered if the Ox-Cam expressway were to be scrapped, campaigners expressed surprise that no contact appears to have been made on this topic with the local authorities along the Ox-Cam Arc.
The biggest campaign group opposing the construction of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and associated target of one million new houses – the ‘No Expressway Group’ (NEG) – submitted Freedom of Information requests on this subject to 28 Local Authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT). The DfT and 17 of the 28 Local Authorities have responded to the Freedom of Information request indicating that they have no record of any discussion or consultation, regarding the housing target, having taken place.
Bethan Nimmo of BBC South reported on Grant Shapps pledge to “review as a priority” the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and reported that he said Local Authorities along the route had told him that ‘they can still build those homes and that they don’t need a road blasting through the countryside to do that’.
NEG spokesperson Prof David Rogers said ‘we are surprised to find that all of the Local Authorities across the Arc, who’ve responded to our Freedom of Information request, and the Department for Transport itself, have not been able to find evidence of any consultations between Grant Shapps or his department and the Local Authorities about the impact of the promised Ox-Cam Expressway review on housing targets for the Arc. It raises questions about how serious the pledge to review the Expressway is and how effectively the different government departments are working together regarding plans for the Arc.’
NEG spokesperson Olivia Field said ‘people all along the Ox-Cam Arc are deeply concerned about proposals for the Expressway and over-inflated housing targets for the area. They are extremely frustrated at the lack of any information about possible routes and lack of transparency of any Expressway review and potential impacts on the Government’s broader ambitions for the area. And now responses to our Freedom of Information requests raise questions about the limited information that we have actually been given. This really is unacceptable. We need clarity about what the Government plans to do.’
NEG is continuing to urge people not to see the Government’s announcement, to “review as a priority” the Ox-Cam Expressway, during the election campaign as ‘game over’. It is not. It’s vital that as many local people as possible make their voices heard by supporting NEG at www.noexpressway.org where they can sign a petition to demand the Government abandons plans for the Ox-Can Expressway and associated vast housing targets.
Ends
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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
On 20th November 2019 Grant Shapps pledged to “review as a priority” the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway if the Conservative party returned with a majority Government in the general election. Bethan Nimmo of BBC South reported on this announcement and interviewed Grant Shapps. She reported that Mr Shapps, commenting on the one million houses proposals for the expressway, had said that Local Authorities along the route had told him that ‘they can still build those homes and that they don’t need a road blasting through the countryside to do that’.
You can listen to this BBC TV South item here (report of Mr Shapps’ comment is towards the end of the clip.)
A copy of the Department for Transport’s response to No Expressway Group’s Freedom of Information request is attached.
The Oxford to Cambridge Expressway scheme is based on the idea of opening-up the countryside for development, including an aspirational target of one million new houses by 2050. The National Infrastructure Commission’s 5th Studio Report shows a split by both region and type of housing across the Arc. The target includes ‘unlocked’ homes enabled by the Expressway, London commuter homes and those in Local Authority plans. We agree more housing is needed, but not increases in housing stock for Oxfordshire >100% by 2050, affected parts of Buckinghamshire by 66%, of Northamptonshire by 74% and of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Huntingdonshire by 81%. These growth rates are vastly greater than the Office of National Statistics predicted average 16% population increase in England by 2050. The impact of this on our environment, pollution and infrastructure, should not be underestimated! All those homes need infrastructure: schools, clinics, hospitals, water and electricity supplies, waste and sewage disposal etc. For example, one form entry primary school is required for every 800 new houses. That’s 1,250 such schools across the Arc for those one million new houses by 2050. Developers make only minimal contributions to the real cost of infrastructure, which is ultimately borne by the Government, i.e. ultimately by tax- and rate-payers.
England has destroyed 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s and more ancient woodlands in the forty years after WWII than in the previous 400 years. How much more destruction can our environment take without catastrophic declines in our life support systems?
About:
The No Expressway Group (NEG) was established to raise awareness of the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway across the Arc. We are not affiliated with any political party and are run on a not-for-profit basis. We receive donations from our individual supporters but no funds from any group with commercial or other interests in the Arc proposals. In the last 12 months NEG has given talks and made presentations to villages across the Arc, from Sunningwell, West of Oxford, to Cranfield in Bedfordshire. We have not found a single community in favour of the Arc proposals.
The NO EXPRESSWAY GROUP believes that there is NO need for an Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, nor the over-inflated housing targets associated with it, and we will actively campaign against it and support the many 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 and we will continue to strive to educate people about the threats to our countryside posed by the planned Expressway and its associated housing and development. We will fight to protect our countryside and its wildlife for the health and enjoyment of all future generations.