Gove’s Cambridge plans ‘nonsensical’, say local leaders

Michael Gove’s plan for a dramatic expansion of Cambridge is “nonsensical”, according to the leaders of three Cambridgeshire councils. The levelling up secretary announced plans to develop a new science quarter in Cambridge last December via a new, top-down development corporation armed with the “right leadership and… powers” to rapidly expand the city. But local leaders have poured cold water on the plans, saying there is not enough water to support the new development. The Environment Agency has also put 9,000 houses and some 3m sq ft of research space in the Cambridge region on hold, because planners were unable to demonstrate there were sustainable water supplies. Gove has appointed Homes England chair Peter Freeman to run a Cambridge Delivery Group to begin scoping the work. Initially the plans called for 250,000 homes, but that has since been scaled back to 150,000. The FT (£)