Oxford-Cambridge Arc

According to Anthony Browne MP "the OxCam Arc appears nowhere in the levelling up White Paper, and is no longer a government priority." See here for more details.

According to earlier Government statements, the arching sweep of land between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge (Oxford-Cambridge Arc) has a unique opportunity to become an economic asset of international standing – yet without urgent action, a chronic undersupply of homes could jeopardise growth, limit access to labour and put the booming economies of the UK’s science and technology hub at risk.
The National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) central finding is that rates of house building will need to double if the Arc is to achieve its economic potential. This requires a new deal between central and local government – one which aligns public and private interests behind the delivery of significant east-west infrastructure and major new settlements, and which seeks commitment to faster growth through a joined-up plan for jobs, homes and infrastructure.
Up to 1,000,000 new homes could be built along the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridge Arc, together with a new expressway and East-West rail link to shorten journey times from East to West.

Growth Plans

At Budget 2020, the government committed to developing, with local partners, a Spatial Framework for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc – the area that spans the five ceremonial counties of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
They say that this is an opportunity for them to work with communities and local partners to develop a plan that will:

support long-run sustainable economic growth across the area
help to make the area a brilliant place to live, work and travel in – for existing residents and future communities alike
support lasting improvements to the environment, green infrastructure and biodiversity

EQUIPPING LOCAL AREAS WITH THE TOOLS TO DELIVER GROWTH
They say that new settlements are only part of the solution. Meeting the Arc’s future housing needs will require development in and around existing towns and cities. Local areas must be equipped to meet this challenge and to remove the barriers that frustrate privately-led development. Government should ensure local areas have the powers and resources to shape high quality, well-connected places that respect the environment, and enhance quality of life for new and existing residents.

Oxford-Cambridge Expressway

On 18 March 2021 the Government announced that the plans for an Oxford-Cambridge Expressway have been cancelled.
“… extensive analysis and local engagement reveals the expressway would not be cost-effective for the taxpayer…”
The Transport Secretary will look to alternative plans for improving transport in the region.

The Oxford to Cambridge Expressway was a proposed grade-separated dual carriageway between the A34 near Oxford and the A14 near Cambridge, via (or near) Milton Keynes. The proposal aims to establish this route by linking existing roads and building new ones. The National Infrastructure Commission saw the road as being of national strategic importance by providing an outer orbital route around London, linking Southampton, the M3, M4, A34, M40, M1, A1, A14/M11 and Felixstowe.

EAST-WEST INFRASTRUCTURE ENABLING NEW SETTLEMENTS
East West Rail could provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock land for new settlements. According to the NIC, local and national government must work together, with developers and investors, to align the delivery of infrastructure and major new settlements – including the first new towns to be built in over a generation.