A new ‘national forest’ is promised by government for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, with a new ‘forest city’ to be located east of Cambridge. Millions of trees are to be planted as part of a £1bn commitment to support the forestry sector, enhancing nature and driving economic growth. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs claims the forest will create and support 14,000 jobs. And perhaps build public support for a massive new wave of homes, business parks and rail infrastructure in the Oxford to Cambridge region.
In the past every new development project—big or small—was held out as being ‘sustainable’. The word conjured up a green and pleasant future.
And the word was overused by everyone from home builders to oil companies. Have government and developers decided to try something new?
A new buzzword?
In theory, creating new forests is something everyone would support. Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, despite having some of the best supported nature charities.
The government promised in its manifesto that it would establish three new national forests and has already announced one for the West Country.
No exact location has yet been made for the Cambridgeshire forest. The trees will be fighting for space against a mass of existing commitments to super-charge economic growth in the area with houses, research centres and science parks.
Cambridge is a boom area economically. Its leading position in sectors like biotech and clean tech originates in research from the University, spun off into commercial application.
This is one of three regional net providers of cash to the Treasury. The city population has grown by over 17% since 2011. Around 22,000 new homes were built over that period in Cambridge and South Cambridge.
Two new cities?
Documents for local councillors, revealed in the Draft Local Plan and reported in the local Cambridge Independent, show land identified for 77,000 new homes. Cambourne, an existing town of 12,000 just ten miles west of Cambridge, is projected to be turned with its surrounding villages into a city like Durham —population 50,000.
These homes are necessary, it is argued, because local authority planners expect 73,000 jobs to be created in the surrounding area beyond 2045.
Another suggestion would have a Forest City built between Haverhill and Newmarket. The idea was proposed by ex-Guardian journalist and now businessman Shiv Malik. He says it could be home eventually to one million people.
Spoiled trees
A forest city? Many of Cambridgeshire’s new developments have required mature tree to be removed. Arboreal experts say there is little match between old and new trees. It can take 10 to 40 years for a new sapling to sequestrate carbon in the way a mature tree can.
Saplings are highly vulnerable to drought. At least half of the 860,000 trees planted in 2020 by the National Highways died alongside the newly-widened A14 in Cambridgeshire. The government body had promised an 11% increase in “biodiversity net gain.”
Spoiled streams
The highest profile nature damage so far has been done to the River Cam and its feeder chalk streams. The growth in local population has already put huge strain on the local waterways. Ground water has had to be pumped into the Cam to keep it flowing.
A newly-designated bathing area in the city became a no-go zone when Environment Agency readings showed very high pollution levels..
East Anglia is the hottest region of Britain. Water scarcity is a growing problem, due to the climate crisis. A Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Climate Commission warned in 2021 that the area would extinguish its Co2 “budget” in six years at the current rate.
This is a difficult place to plant trees. And not one to build ever more homes and science parks, particularly ones where water and energy-intensive operations like artificial intelligence are practised.
A spoiled city
Local concerns are exacerbated by University and corporate interests inside the Cambridge Ahead lobby group. This body has repeatedly called for more growth, with little acknowledgment of the negative results over the past ten years
More homes have been built and more jobs created. But inequality in the city has soared, roads have become badly congested, and house prices have rocketed. With national and local authority spending reduced, the public realm has become increasingly depleted as private wealth—for the few—has grown.
The government, university and business enthusiasts, around a city famous for its brainpower, perhaps cannot see the wood for the trees. Are the new forests about enhancing nature—or greenwash?
The Woodland Trust is distributing trees to schools and community groups. You can find details here.
