Mayor’s Westminster Local Growth Plan launch calls on Government to back tripling of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough economy

Mayor’s Westminster Local Growth Plan launch calls on Government to back tripling of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough economy

Paul Bristow has taken Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s new Local Growth Plan (LGP) to Westminster, urging Government to back an ambition to triple the size of the local economy and unlock a future where people across the region can be “healthier, wealthier and happier”. 

The LGP, developed with Government and shaped by councils and hundreds from the business, education and skills, and charitable sectors, as well as other organisations, represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn the region’s potential into prosperity for people and communities.  

Following a local unveiling at AstraZeneca on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the Westminster launch at the QEII Centre on Wednesday (December 10) brought together MPs, local and industry leaders and skills experts to strengthen the case for investment in one of the UK’s most dynamic, innovative and globally competitive local economies. The plan will support the Government’s national Industrial Strategy and includes a shared priority to invest in key infrastructure gaps like transport, water and energy which risk holding back growth. 

The Mayoral target of tripling the size of the local economy by 2050 would add around £55 billion of economic growth above baseline projections.   

The Westminster launch with a Q&A with Cllr Sarah Conboy, Executive Leader, Huntingdonshire District Council, and Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader, Cambridgeshire County Council.

The Mayor went to Westminster with a clear ask to Government – do not take Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for granted, and invest in the infrastructure the region urgently needs to make growth happen.  

The LGP identifies six high-growth sectors in the region which will drive future prosperity by targeting support and allowing them to expand and spread further across the area. They are:  

• Life Sciences  

• Advanced Manufacturing and Materials  

• Defence 

• Digital Technologies 

• Agri-Food and Agri-Tech 

• Energy and Clean-Tech. 

It also establishes four Opportunity Zones: Global City Cambridge, Peterborough Fast Growth City, North Hunts Growth Cluster, and the Fens Growth Triangle. These zones focus investment, skills and infrastructure to create jobs and opportunity, boost productivity and ensure communities benefit from growth.   

Paul Bristow said: “This is the most ambitious plan for local growth anywhere in the country. 

“Growth is good for our communities. It funds the transport we need to get around, unlocks the well-planned homes we need to live in, brings well-paid jobs in strong industries and increases the skills support that helps local people get them. 

“We’ve built this plan with partners from every part of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough because we want a future that works for everyone. 

“Our message to Government is simple: we’re ready to deliver – but we need Ministers to match our ambition. It’s time to back Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and invest in key projects like Ely Junction, dualled A-roads, better trains and greater energy and water capacity. That’s how we will deliver and make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough healthier, wealthier and happier.” 

Cllr Sarah Conboy, chair of the Combined Authority Growth Committee and Executive Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, said: “This Local Growth Plan sets out a strong, shared ambition for our region, and Huntingdonshire is proud to have helped shape it. The focus on the North Hunts Growth Cluster highlights the real opportunities here for new jobs, innovation and investment. But to realise that potential, we need Government to back the vital transport, water and energy infrastructure that underpins sustainable growth.  

“We’re committed to working with the Mayor and partners to ensure this plan delivers real, lasting benefits for our businesses and communities.” 

Minister for Devolution Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “We’re putting mayors in the driving seat to create jobs and bring more opportunities to their area. 

“This plan shows exactly how that can be done: building on the area’s strengths to create good jobs and improve people’s lives across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.” 

The LGP forms the foundation for future devolution, targeted Government investment, and significant private-sector backing. It aligns local priorities with the Government’s national Industrial Strategy and highlights infrastructure gaps – particularly transport, water and energy – that must be addressed to sustain growth. 

The LGP builds on the region’s strengths as a globally recognised centre for innovation, and will support the Government’s ambitions for growth across the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor and beyond. 

Panel discussions at the launch explored the region’s world-class sector strengths, the regeneration potential of former Ministry of Defence sites, and the opportunity for research and innovation to drive growth and regeneration.  

Read the Local Growth Plan: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/C221033-CPCA-Local-Growth-Plan-Stage-7_v21_Acc.pdf