WSP on the Oxford Cambridge Arc Corridor – strategic priorities, delivery mechanisms and more

Adrian Hames, Director & Head of Transport Planning at WSP: 

The Oxford to Cambridge Arc continues to be a ‘hot’ topic, with many parties discussing the region’s growth potential. Bringing partners together is a must if we are to tackle the challenges and enable delivery, so we’re excited to help drive the conversation at the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Development Conference this month. At WSP, we recently undertook a poll of industry leaders in the area to dig deeper into the strategic priorities and delivery mechanisms that matter most, finding that:

• 75% agreed that the Arc is one of the most important infrastructure and economic development projects in UK and should be a priority for Government funding
• 78% thought there should be a regional approach to planning;
• 92% believe that there needs to be a joint transport infrastructure and housing/jobs plan for delivery rather than isolated projects
• 86% made it clear that housing targets could only be met with public sector support in terms of effective governance, improved planning processes and infrastructure investment
• 84% considered East West Rail and Expressway as critical to success and that infrastructure is crucial for ongoing competitiveness in the Arc

There was consensus that quality and being Future Ready were essential to delivering growth and productivity. This included tackling loneliness, addressing an ageing population, promoting social cohesion, addressing climate change, catering for the flexible use of technology and mobility and ensuring people benefit from the natural environment.

This consensus reflects the Arc’s desperate need for new homes, with some of the highest housing prices in the country and no slow down for demand on the horizon. As someone who is proud to live in the Arc and dedicated to supporting its future success, we need more homes in the region – but not without the right integrated thinking to plan them. It’s not enough to provide homes in isolation without supporting infrastructure to connect people to the jobs they want.

We need to take a holistic view of the corridor and provide the right kind of homes, supported by the right kind of social and economic infrastructure. By also recognising that the way we design the built environment can ‘lock in’ healthy and productive behaviours for many generations, we can have a positive impact on the region’s productivity, consistent with WSP’s initiative for developing Productive Places. We need to re-imagine how transport can enable growth by leading with new innovate schemes and producing the delivery models necessary to meet the scale of projected needs for housing and economic growth. We also need to ensure infrastructure can adapt to future changes, such as the Expressway being delivered to cater for future patterns of mobility rather than just for how we travel by car now.

Our vision of the Arc is one of thriving and sustainable communities supported by smarter infrastructure which is tuned to meet local and strategic needs. We can create new business connections, create vibrant communities, drive future mobility and pave the way for a sustainable future. Infrastructure is critical to future success and competitiveness; transport, energy, communications or housing infrastructure that has been wisely considered, targeted, funded and delivered becomes a powerful agent for the economy in the Arc. Key to this vision is a global brand for the Arc and increasing the pace of delivery for nationally significant infrastructure, such as East-West Rail. Our work with England’s Economic Heartland has shown that to develop an effective Transport Strategy there needs to be robust evidence and consideration of all these factors at the start.

Building on this knowledge, our recommendations for successful infrastructure delivery in the Arc are:

1. Ensure there is clear leadership and governance that reduces uncertainty by putting in place new mechanisms, such as a National Policy Statement for the Arc

2. Produce a joint plan for infrastructure and housing and job growth

3. Provide new models for growth, including how we deliver new towns and cities in the Arc that provide quality development and effective use of space to aid local productivity

4. Make sure we are Future Ready. We need to need ensure our infrastructure is ready for climate change, changing society, makes best use of resources and is able to embrace future technology changes and its impacts on mobility

5. Allow industry and government to efficiently work together to deliver infrastructure more quickly for faster returns to give greater market confidence and attract world class investment.

 

What do you think is the biggest priority for the Arc this year? We look forward to the conversation at the conference, and taking the ideas and discussion into action and delivery. Let’s make sure 2019 is the year that shapes the successful delivery of the Arc’s ambitions, and a successful place for the generations that will live there for decades to come.

 

WSP will be at the forefront of the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Development Conference as they chair the Infrastructure & Economy Panel.

Click here to register for the event.