‘Rachel Reeves’ new Silicon Valley dream will ruin our village’: Locals warn rural idyll dating back to Domesday Book will be decimated by homes for 350,000 people under Labour plan_Nhy
Disgruntled villagers have claimed their rural idyll will be destroyed by Labour’s plan to turn a swathe of Middle England into Britain’s new Silicon Valley.
Residents of Tempsford say that Rachel Reeves‘ backing for a major new scheme linking Oxford and Cambridge will lead to tens of thousands of homes being built around the village in Buckinghamshire, which currently has a population of 600.
The Chancellor today green-lit plans for East West Rail joining the two academic hubs in a ‘growth corridor’ with new stations in Tempsford and Cambourne.
Her proposals, designed to boost the economy by £78billion, will also see Government backing thrown behind the creation of new towns and roads as she seeks ways to boost the economy.
However, locals believe that it will lead to massive development of their ‘quiet and peaceful’ village, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086.
A study last year by think tank UKDayOne suggested the village could become a new city with a population of 350,000 people, larger than Nottingham, Newcastle or Plymouth.
Tempsford Parish Council chairman David Smith, 50, claimed the new properties would ‘decimate’ the village.
He said: ‘We understand that Cambridge and Oxford need new homes but we’re too small a village to say no to anything. We’ve got no voice, no power and those in charge don’t care.
‘This will decimate everything by making Tempsford as big as Milton Keynes and Cambridge together.
Residents in the village of Tempsford, Buckinghamshire, say that plans to build a further 350,000 homes nearby will make it larger than Cambridge or Oxford
Chancellor Rachel Reeves today green-lit plans to create the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley with plans for major development between Oxford and Cambridge
Resident Mark Cleary, 58, said he would consider moving if new houses were built
‘You shouldn’t be able to take all of this away without consequences. We don’t want to be the next Milton Keynes.’
Paulette Smith, 64, said all the Governments were the same and objecting against any plans were futile.
Ms Smith, who has lived in Tempsford since 1996, said: ‘The big boys come in and do it anyway, no matter how much we shout and scream about it.
‘It doesn’t matter what government it is, they’re all the same.
‘I just can’t envision more than quarter of a million houses in this beautiful little village.
‘They’d need a GP, a dentist, schools and we don’t even have that now – all we’ve got is a farm shop.’
Other residents expressed concerns about the destruction of fields and wildlife in the area which is home to rabbits, deer and birds.
Resident Mark Cleary, 58, said he would consider moving if new houses were built.
Locals are unhappy with the plans to build on their ‘quiet and peaceful’ village, which has a current population of 600
David Smith, 50, is the chairman of the Parish Council in Tempsford and said plans for new properties would ‘decimate’ the village.
Paulette Smith, 64, said all the governments were the same and objecting against any plans was futile
He said: ‘Labour shouldn’t be wasting their time with building houses around here when there’s much better things to be focusing on.
‘I’ve got sympathy for the need for new homes but to expand here is crazy. We’d have to move as it just isn’t why we decided to live here.’
Ms Reeves answer to Silicon Valley will also see the new east-west rail link and upgraded roads link Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes, which are hubs for innovation and R&D, the Chancellor said in a major speech this morning.
A new ‘Growth Commission for Oxford’ will review how to accelerate growth will be launched, and Lord Vallance, the government’s former chief scientific advisor will be appointed as ‘Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion’.
The emphasis on the Oxford-Cambridge region marks a shift away from the Tories’ ‘levelling up’ agenda, in which resources were directed to the ‘left behind places’ in a bid to emulate the levels of prosperity and opportunity in London and the south east.
Instead, Ms Reeves used her speech to say Oxford and Cambridge offer ‘huge economic potential for our nation’s growth prospects’.
It sat alongside backing for a new third runway to expand Heathrow airport.
Chris Curtis, the Milton Keynes North MP and co-chairman of Labour Growth Group said: ‘This speech marks an inflection point for our country.
Other residents expressed concerns about the destruction of fields and wildlife in the area which is home to rabbits, deer and birds
The village of Tempsford in Bedfordshire where there are plans to build new homes increasing the population to 350,000
‘For far too long those who have sought to block building, stifle innovation and halt progress have had the system on their side in the UK – now that era is firmly at an end and the time for change is here.’
Mrs Reeves announced that the Environment Agency has lifted its objections to a new development around Cambridge with 4,500 new homes, as well as office and laboratory space in Cambridge City Centre.
East West Rail involves boosting railway links between Oxford and Cambridge with new and upgraded lines.
The scheme has three stages, with initial services from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes scheduled to begin this year.
The other two stages are reliant on Government funding and approval.
These involve services being extended from Oxford to Bedford, and then from Oxford to Cambridge via Bedford and Bletchley.
A new railway station at Tempsford, Bedfordshire, would provide connections between the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail.
The Chancellor told an audience at a Siemens factory near Oxford: ‘Just 66 miles apart these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world, two of the most intensive innovation clusters in the world and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms in life sciences, manufacturing, and AI.
‘It has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley. The home of British innovation.
‘To grow, these world-class companies need world-class talent who should be able to get to work quickly and find somewhere to live in the local area. But to get from Oxford to Cambridge by train takes two and a half hours.
‘There is no way to commute directly from towns like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge by rail. And there is a lack of affordable housing across the region.
‘Oxford and Cambridge are two of the least affordable cities in the UK. In other words, the demand is there but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth in the region.’
