Mayor Paul Bristow warns Government: ‘Don’t take Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for granted’ after UK Infrastructure Strategy announced

Mayor Paul Bristow warns Government: ‘Don’t take Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for granted’ after UK Infrastructure Strategy announced

Responding to today’s publication by HM Treasury of ‘UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy’, Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, warned Government not to take Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for granted by ignoring upgrading Ely Junction and undermining ambitions for growth in Cambridge and the East.

Paul Bristow said: “Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is a place of innovation and world-changing breakthroughs, with an economy which is internationally renowned. But if Government thinks this success can be taken for granted, they are making a costly mistake.

“In setting out its infrastructure strategy today, Government must understand that fixing Ely Junction remains essential. Without it, we can’t unlock the full potential of our region or make good on the Government’s own vision for a thriving Cambridge economy which is critical to the country’s industrial future.

“I look forward to more detail from the Department for Transport in mid-July on which projects will be funded. I continue to make the case that Ely Junction is the single, most obvious way to unblock our region’s transport. Government knows this and the business case is crystal clear.

“Nobody doubts the North needs investment. But when £415 million was committed to rail upgrades between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, with a return of £2.50 for every £1 spent, our own Ely Junction, which returns nearly £5 for every £1 invested, should be hard to ignore. When Government invests, it should do so with value for money in mind. Not funding Ely junction would further demonstrate the East is not being taken seriously. 

“There’s been a lot of talk in Whitehall about unleashing the potential of Cambridge’s science and tech success. But without real investment in transport across the region, it will ring hollow. If Government wants to avoid the mistakes of Silicon Valley – where inequality boomed alongside innovation – it must listen to the democratically elected voices here and invest in projects that enable more people to share in success.

“The economic potential in the East of England is far more than just the Cambridge to Oxford corridor. I was elected on a manifesto that growth in our region must benefit those who already live here. Without providing the region the same level of infrastructure that has been committed to the North, this Government risks sending a clear signal to residents in the East of England that it is simply not interested in improving their lives.

“I’m looking forward to meeting soon with Science Minister Sir Patrick Vallance, who is responsible for the Cambridge to Oxford corridor, to make these points in person.

“The Strategy’s backing of East West Rail and the Fens Reservoir is important. But it must be part of a broader, joined-up commitment to investment across our region. Without that approach, we risk further entrenching the inequalities in Cambridge and surrounding communities.”