An update of news and commentary relevant to proposals for the development of the OxCam corridor.

An update of news and commentary relevant to proposals for the development of the OxCam corridor.

Posted on Jan 20, 2026 by jsw  | Tags: Stop the Arc, OxCam, STARC

STARC Newsletter January 2026

Dear Supporter,
 
An update of news and commentary relevant to proposals for the development of the OxCam corridor.

The board would like to wish all our supporters a happy new year
 

At a recent meeting your directors were pondering whether our campaign has actually been successful, as there is now no ARC being talked of, it has morphed into a corridor. Although the threats are a big as ever, it is still healthy to contemplate that one of the reasons for the name change was the influence that we have had on making the ARC a toxic concept.

Now we must do the same for the ‘corridor’ .

Investment Prospectus

And here it is: the government’s Investment Prospectus for the corridor. Clearly directed at foreign investors, it is not clear to us how big international investors are going to be persuaded to invest in the area by this naive piece of marketing.

Have a look at the full document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f75c5b529ccfa62ea399b2/Oxford_Cambridge_Growth_Corridor.pdf

The message is that despite the ills the government faces, the corridor is still being promoted as the route to growth.

But  . . . you may have read that at least three Big Pharma companies (Astra Zeneca, Merck, Eli Lilly) have pulled out of investments worth over £2bn for various reasons, including lack of profitability with NHS pricing. This just goes to show that there are much bigger drivers to investment than glossy brochures.
http://observer.co.uk/news/business/article/big-pharmas-cash-pull-out-lands-blow-to-uk-economy

Planning and infrastructure Bill

The Planning and Infrastructure Act received Royal assent on the 18th December.

Much has been written about this piece of legislation and how it will affect planning, housebuilding, and the environment.

The fact that it is now law and the Corridor is such a vaunted project will ensure that our turf will be test ground for its impact, both good and bad.

Unfortunately, although the idea of Spatial Development Strategies is probably helpful the Government chose not to accept the Lords amendment to prioritise brown field sites.

The real worry is the removal of the power of veto from local councils leaving decisions in the hands of planning officers vulnerable to the influence of the big house builders.

The other worry is the option for ‘Environmental Delivery Plans’. This an update on the ‘Environmental Net Gain’ idea where trashing nature in one site can be offset by planting a few trees in another. It is of concern to many environmental organisations.

For a good summary see the CPRE: https://www.cpre.org.uk/explainer/the-planning-infrastructure-act-what-does-it-do-and-what-happens-next/
 

STARC continues to campaign against excessive development and environmental harm between Oxford and Cambridge

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

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3.Help us find a Membership Secretary and a book-keeper. Only a little spare time is required for either task, but they each deserve the dedicated focus our current team is hard-pressed to provide. If you know someone, please let us know.