New information about the East West Rail Economic Growth Board made available

The government has published the terms of reference for the East West Rail Economic Growth Board. The terms of reference also include a list of meeting attendees.

Terms of reference for the East West Rail Economic Growth Board

The information has come to light as a result of a freedom of information (FOI) request made by the campaigning group Cambridge Approaches. However, the government has said it will not publish the Growth Board’s meetings minutes, also requested by FOI. Cambridge Approaches is appealing this decision.

The Growth Board is being led by HM Treasury and met for the first time in September 2023. According to the terms of reference, one of the Growth Board’s aims is to ‘support economic growth in the Oxford to Cambridge region enabled by East West Rail’.

Nick Burton, Trustee of Stop the Arc Group, points out that these important government departments are missing from the Growth Board:

• Department for Business and Trade - responsible for business growth

• Environment Agency - responsible for protecting and improving water

• Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) - responsible for food security

‘The Government is as incoherent as ever,’ he says. ‘Rishi Sunak, HM Treasury and Laura Trott are planning for failure.’

Terms of reference for the East West Rail Economic Growth Board