The Government is currently running its public consultation on what the “Vision” for the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Arc should be. It is good to see them finally taking a consultative approach, but the whole framing of the consultation shows that they have already made up their mind on what their priority for the Arc is: economic growth, whatever the cost.

The consultation is premised on the need for economic development across the region, without asking people whether that is the right priority - or indeed whether a vision for the Arc area is needed at all. It is astonishing that this approach continues in the same breath as promises that theirs is a Government serious about tackling the nature and climate crises. A review on the economics of biodiversity, produced by Professor Dasgupta and published earlier this year, found that our traditional approach to growth is unsustainable because it fails to factor in the damage done to nature. In short, we need to change our approach and fast.

The Government’s plans for the OxCam Arc do not properly consider the impact on nature. As long as this is the case, they are a failure. You cannot plan for sustainable growth without factoring in the costs to the environment. But even that is the bare minimum. As it stands, the Government will only create funds to restore nature across the Arc if development takes place. Funding for nature’s restoration cannot be solely dependent on development. We have taken and used so much of what nature offers for generations without paying it back. Now is the time for ambitious plans to restore nature on a landscape scale, in its own right. The Government’s current approach falls short – it is too little, too late.

If it goes ahead, the Arc will set a precedent for future development across the country. It is critical that they get it right. The Government’s consultation seems to be promising that the Arc can be everything for everyone, without addressing the conflicts between competing demands. Development does not always need to be a disaster for nature - but more often than not, it is. At a time when the Government is looking at reforming our planning system, we cannot allow plans for the Arc to be a threat to the places we love. A dramatic change of approach and priorities is needed if this new development is going to be anything but more of the same.

We are in the middle of a nature and climate emergency. Nature and the environment need to be at the heart of decision making locally and in Westminster. Local authority leaders have tried to prioritise nature with their Arc Environmental Principles which aim to protect, restore, and enhance the environment across the region. But the Government’s consultation ignores them. They do not commit to delivering net zero or biodiversity net gain across the Arc, instead only talking about “ambitions” and identifying “opportunity areas”. There is nothing in the consultation to suggest that under the current approach, the Arc will do anything to contribute to tackling the nature and climate emergency. It will only make it worse.

At BBOWT we are not against development. We are against bad development that damages nature and the vital services that it provides. This kind of unsustainable development is happening in the Arc area right now, and will continue even if the Growth Arc plans are scrapped. Something needs to change. The Arc doesn't need to be a disaster for nature, if a plan is put forward that has nature at its heart.

The Government needs to Rethink the Arc. If its priority is landscape scale nature restoration, it can be a turning point for our counties. If it is yet another badly planned building project, it could be a disaster for our natural environment.

Please respond to the Government’s consultation and add your voice to the thousands who have concerns about the Government’s approach to the Arc and want to see nature put first.

Add your voice