On Thursday 27th March, Turnstone Estates alongside Concilio and Lanpro, hosted the first hustings of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayoral election campaign. The event brought together over 100 professionals from across the built environment sector to hear directly from the leading candidates on their priorities for planning, transport and growth across the region.
For the first time, the incoming Mayor will take office with substantial new powers – the kind that will reshape where and how the region grows. The Devolution Bills will require the new Mayor to deliver a Spatial Development Strategy by December 2027 – a regional blueprint that overrides local plans and sets the direction for housing, infrastructure and economic growth.
Paul Bristow (Conservative) emphasised the need for the region to ‘set its own agenda’ and proposed the Combined Authority, given their plan making obligations, leads the Cambridge Growth Company growth plans. He highlighted the need for greater north-south connectivity and is an advocate for light rail in Cambridge and A-road dualling. He also welcomed the new devolved powers that allow the mayor to call in planning applications, suggesting they could help unlock development held back by minor objections.
Lorna Dupré (Liberal Democrat) welcomed the opportunity presented by the government’s plans for Cambridge however she stressed the importance of ‘pressing back’ and ‘challenging’ damaging proposal from Government. She called for a Spatial Development Strategy shaped by local communities and stakeholders, not Westminster, and warned that the Cambridge Growth Company could risk further complicating governance structures. Her focus was on a more regionally inclusive growth agenda beyond Greater Cambridge.
Bob Ensch (Green Party) made the case for ‘managed growth’ that creates a ‘genuinely different region for working people’. He supported ‘managed growth’ for the region, particularly building more genuinely affordable homes, especially for working people on lower incomes. He highlighted water constraints as a serious barrier to growth and voiced concerns about government-led reforms that reduce the role of local voices in planning. He was also critical of past transport investments, describing the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s busway scheme as poor value for public money.
The discussion was summed up by Tim Deacon of Turnstone Estates. Elections take place on the 1st May.