The Liberal Democrats have floated an eye-catching plan to be re-open the former Oxford to Cambridge Rail Link as the “Garden Cities Line”, and encourage the towns along the route to come forward with plans for housing developments of 9,000 to 15,000 homes.
In total, the LibDems believs the line could accommodate approximately 50,000 new homes built on Garden City principles – described as being high quality, sustainable developments with accessible green space.
The Oxford to Cambridge ‘brain-belt’, which passes through Bicester, Bletchley and Bedford, could therefore provide five out of 10 Garden City developments that it hopes could ease the national housing shortage.
But the idea of reopening a rail line that closed in 1967 is already halfway to reality. The western section between Oxford and Bedford is under construction and due for completion in 2019, and could be followed by the Bedford to Cambridge “Central Section”. An organisation of local authorities and businesses called the East West Rail Consortium published a report by Atkins on 18 August outlining the possible economic benefits of the Bedford to Cambridge Central Section.
The EWRC hopes to establish a robust business case that can be submitted to government in 2016 to secure inclusion of the scheme in the 2019-24 investment plans for the rail industry. Meanwhile, campign group Railfuture believes that the new line could be operational as early as 2022.
The Atkins report said that new line could also reduce rail journey times between Oxford and Cambridge from 2.5 hours to roughly 60 minutes, delivering a boost of more than £750m for the region’s economy.
But the former line between Bedford and Cambridge has been dismantled, with the land already sold and used for housing and other development, necessitating a new stretch of railway.
Speaking at the party’s Glasgow conference yesterday, deputy prime minister and LibDem leader Nick Clegg said: “Britain faces a housing crisis. Every day, 200 fewer families own their own home, as home owners die and more young families get stuck renting, unable to afford to buy.
“Housebuilding is stuck in the doldrums, with nowhere near enough homes being built to meet demand and keep prices affordable for those families desperate for a home of their own.
“Garden Cities are a vital cornerstone of our plan to boost house building to 300,000 homes a year – enough to meet demand and keep prices in reach – while still protecting our precious green space and preventing urban sprawl. Our plan is to build a series of high quality new towns and cities where people want to live, with green space, sustainable transport and spacious homes.”
