The UK is creating a big forest as part of its push to build a ‘new Silicon Valley’
A new national forest in the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor moved a step closer on Monday (12 January) with the announcement that the search for official delivery partners has begun.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has opened an Expression of Interest process with interested parties needing to demonstrate they have the capacity, experience, and knowledge to deliver the outcomes required for a new national forest in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor – along with expertise in large-scale woodland creation, community engagement, and cross-sector partnerships.
The new national forest in the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor will be the second of three new national forests pledged in the government’s manifesto, following the Western Forest in the West of England.
These new national forests are aimed at helping deliver national renewal for communities, driving economic growth while enhancing nature and bringing trees closer to where people live.
Millions of trees are expected to be planted in the years ahead as part of a wider commitment to allocate over £1 billion this parliament to tree planting and support to the forestry sector.
The growth corridor
The new forest is not the only development planned for the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously compared her vision of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor to the world’s most famous innovation hub.
“Just 66 miles apart, these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world, two of the most intensive innovation clusters in the world, and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms in life sciences, manufacturing, and AI,” Reeves said in a speech earlier this year.
“It has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley. The home of British innovation.”
However, a lack of housing pervades the area, along with water scarcity, limited public transport and traffic congestion on roads connecting these cities. After London, Cambridge is the most expensive city for purchasing a house in the UK relative to local income.
The government believes these factors have prevented the growth and establishment of new businesses in the area, with firms unable to hire the workers they need to operate thanks to a lack of homes and high rents. Businesses are also seeking 2.2 million square feet of lab space between Oxford, Cambridge and London.
Plans to unlock the growth of this region consist of delivering the following:
- Two new reservoirs to serve the region by 2040, helping to enable the building of more homes in the area.
- £2.5 billion in government spending to deliver East West Rail connecting the major cities in the region, further improving travel times and helping to unlock new homes.
- New schools, health facilities, and other necessary social infrastructure.
These interventions will enhance quality of life and boost the Oxford to Cambridge economy, with East West Rail alone set to add £6.7 billion a year by 2050, the government said.
A multi-billion-pound investment has already been secured for a major new Universal theme park and resort in Bedford, which is in the middle of the growth corridor. The government predicts this will bring an estimated £50-billion boost for the economy, create thousands of jobs, and attract millions of visitors when it opens in 2031.
