Government told they must resist ‘harmful’ proposals to build new city

10 Jul 2026

Ministers have been told they should oppose proposals for a new city of 400,000 homes covering 45,000 acres of West Suffolk and Cambridgeshire countryside.

West Suffolk Council, along with Cambridgeshire County, East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridge District councils, have all welcomed news that the Government’s New Towns Taskforce have rejected the proposals known as Forest City 1. In reply they have written jointly to Government urging ministers to oppose the plans from going forward.

West Suffolk Council is totally against the proposals as they undermine planned development, impact nationally and locally important sectors such as horse racing, result in the loss of substantial areas of Grade 2 agricultural land, and place further pressure on already constrained water and wastewater systems.

Major infrastructure proposals also remain unproven, unfeasible or unclear on how they will be funded, including transport costs estimated at £8.6 to £16 billion and a potential new reservoir costing £1.7 to £3.2 billion.

There are also significant concerns about lack of a clear process, evidence of need for the new housing. It would also fundamentally reshape regional spatial strategies as well as lack strategic alignment. There is also no clear funding strategy or masterplan, creating uncertainty for existing Local Plan and growth commitments.

West Suffolk Council Leader, Cliff Waterman, said: “While we recognise the need for planned development and housing, West Suffolk Council’s position on Forest City 1 is very clear. We strongly object to the proposal on the basis that it is not plan led or evidenced based and has no formal status in the planning system. The proposal is also not supported by the Government, local authorities, or local communities. It would be harmful for our communities, including the nationally important horse racing industry, and our area as a whole. That is why we have been providing Government with the evidence as to why they should resist this proposal.

“We urge them to listen to us, local communities and their own New Towns Taskforce which has rejected the proposals. They now need to give certainty to our concerned residents that this city will go no further.

The massive development that the Forest City represents would rip the heart out of rural communities and create a nightmare overdevelopment in the heart of some of the country’s best landscapes.”

In a joint letter to the Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the leaders of the councils have said: “We are writing collectively as leaders of local authorities across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to express our strong concerns regarding the proposed ‘Forest City 1’ development spanning West Suffolk, South and East Cambridgeshire.

“While we recognise and support the Government’s ambition to deliver new homes at scale, we are clear that developments of this magnitude must be plan-led, evidence-based, and developed in full partnership with local authorities and communities. In this instance, we do not believe those tests have been met."

---