Stop the Arc in the News!
There was much media interest following Michael Gove’s statement about the Ox-Cam Arc to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee on 13th June (see the previous News item).
In July, a critical report from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) suggested that the section of East West Rail between Bletchley and Cambridge (i.e. Stages 2 and 3) was currently ‘unachievable’.
Some of the media coverage of these events is shown on this page and includes contributions from Stop the Arc Trustees Nick Burton, MBE, and William Harrold, Chair of Cambridge Approaches.
First we start with an interview on GB News on 13th June with Stian Westlake, Adviser to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, who talks about the possibilities of developing the Arc’s potential in light of what appears to be diminishing Government interest in the Arc.
Near the end of the clip listen out for his suggestion that what Cambridge City (population c. 125,000) really needs is another city of a million souls right on its doorstep.
The next day, 14th June, Roberto Perrone on BBC 3 Counties Radio interviewed Stop the Arc’s Nick Burton about Michael Gove’s comments the previous day. After playing an audio-clip of part of Mr Gove’s speech, Roberto Perrone asked “Is the Government ‘stepping away’ from the Ox-Cam Arc?”
Click on the bar below the image to hear the interview.
Two days later, on 16th June, Chris Mann on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire started part of his show saying that the Government appears to be ‘rowing back on its plans for a massive expansion of houses and businesses between Cambridge and Oxford’. David Cleevely CBE of Cambridge Ahead said that the city needs to be supportive of its hi-tech industries. Anthony Browne MP (Cons., S. Cambridgeshire) said that his enquiries of Government suggested that the Ox-Cam Arc is just another housing project, which he is strongly against. James Littlewood, Chief Executive of Cambridge Past, Present and Future wants the area to grow whilst ‘retaining the quality of life’. Finally, Chris Mann talked with William Harrold, Chair of Cambridge Approaches (and also a Trustee of Stop the Arc) about East-West Rail, the proposals for which have been hanging over local people now for a couple of years. The future of EWR is tied in with that of the Arc. “If the Arc’s not happening, then the railway shouldn’t happen” said William.
Click on the bar below the image to hear the interview.
In July, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) reporting to the Cabinet Office and Treasury, released a Delivery Confidence Assessment of various large infrastructure projects in its Annual Report on Major Projects 2021-22. It gave East West Rail Stages 2 and 3 (the sections between Bletchley and Cambridge) a red rating indicating that successful delivery of the project is considered unachievable (Connection Stage 1 from Bicester to Bletchley, already under construction, was given an amber rating, indicating ‘successful delivery is feasible but significant issues already exist’) . The IPA Report led to interviews on 3rd August by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Louise Hulland with Stop the Arc’s Nick Burton, CamBed Rail Road’s Sebastian Kindersley (County Councillor and Chair of CBRR), and East West Rail’s Hannah Staunton (Head of Communications).
Click on the bar below the image to hear the interview.
In an interview on LBC later the same month Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport and, at the time, still in the running to become leader of the Tory party, said that EWR Stages 2 and 3 would be the first project to face the axe if he became Prime Minister.
On 5th August, BBC TV Look East reporter Ben Schofield interviewed Tracey whose family farm in Great Barford, Beds, could be cut in two by EWR; Stop the Arc’s Nick Burton; and East-West Rail’s Hannah Staunton.