SCIENCE AND PLANNING LEADERS CALL ON UK GOVERNMENT FOR NEW MODEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY: FUTURE CITIES FORUM REPORTS

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Science campus owners and healthcare leaders are calling on the UK government to make policy reforms for public/ private collaboration and investment into infrastructure.

FUTURE CITIES FORUM’s report from its research meeting, hosted by the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC Ltd), reveals that Nick Kirby, Managing Director of CBC Ltd is calling for political policy reform: ‘We need some policy reforms that allow for more private collaboration and investment in public infrastructure. This will help future growth to be more inclusive and sustainable… we are not yet where we want need to be from an infrastructure point of view.’

The Infrastructure & Project Authority’s Project Director in the Housing and Delivery Team Karl FitzGerald commented: ‘I am taken by the concept of mission-based government – a collaborative approach –  it’s the only way we can crack things. It can be done but it will take a culture change at the top.’

Mark Slack, Chief Medical Officer of global surgical robotics company, CMR Surgical warned: ‘My message to the new government is engage…There are lots of companies who struggle with lack of support in the UK. The Cambridge cluster is amazing, but if we don’t do something then we will haemorrhage talent.’

Chair of Homes England and Chair of the Cambridge Delivery Group, Peter Freeman explained: ‘If we don’t solve water, transport and affordable housing challenges then we have no right to ask the Cambridge region to take on the (housing) growth.’

While Dr Paul Leinster, CBE, Chair of the Water Scarcity Group commented: ‘There should be rising tariffs for water, and differentiated tariffs for what is used for public health and what is used for convenience.’

Stephen Kelly, Joint Head of Planning and Economy at Greater Cambridge Shared Planning stated: ‘We have just published a piece on market needs for dry and wet labs in the Greater Cambridge area, but the government has liberalised the planning system to such an extent so that we can’t limit the amount of space given to specific sectors.’

For report findings: www.futurecitiesforum.london/blog

www.futurecitiesforum.london

Future Cities Forum was hosted by Cambridge Biomedical Campus for its 20th September 2024 ‘Science Cities’ event in The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute. 

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