“It’s completely out of keeping with the surrounding area.”
“We don’t need another college, we already have the excellent Peterhouse, Christ’s, and Trinity Hall to name but three.”
“This is just a vanity project from an unpopular leader.”
“It will disturb the boar population on the fens.”
“How will I get in to see my local physician?”
“Of course we care about young people, but surely these scholars can just go to Oxford.”
“There are already not enough wells to meet our water needs.”
The year is 1441 and local landowners are gathered in a tavern in Cambridge to share their consternation about Henry VI’s plans for King’s College. I obviously have no idea if this actually happened but it’s certainly possible. Anyway, I write this because there has been a (sadly predictable) outcry from politicians and commentators about Michael Gove’s intention to add 250,000 homes to Cambridge in order to transform it into Europe’s Silicon Valley. The vast majority of the objections have been updated versions of the 15th Century ones. For example, the former MP has argued that it would destroy what makes Cambridge ‘special’ while the journalist Tim Stanley has claimed that the UK doesn’t need a Silicon Valley and that it would risk destroying the environment.
As ever, these NIMBYs should be ignored. Let me explain why.
There are those who argue that any new builds would be completely out of keeping with the beautiful architecture of Cambridge’s historic colleges. This is a spurious argument. Now, I would certainly agree that Cambridge is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in the world (and is much prettier than Oxford).
However, this is only true of the centre of Cambridge. As Sam Bowman has pointed out, only a tiny proportion of Cambridge actually looks like that. Much of the area surrounding the historic centre is perfectly pleasant, but quite a lot of it is not. Take the route from the centre to the railway station, for example. Back in my day I used to get a sick thrill watching the tourists arrive at the station and watching their faces drop as rather than being greeted by stunning architecture they were greeted by a carpark and not much else. Now, things have improved near the station with some impressive looking new builds, hotels, and amenities but these are hardly in keeping with what many people would consider makes Cambridge ‘special’. Things have not improved much on the journey down either. One is still subjected to a relatively long walk or drive past rundown takeaway shops and you won’t see any historic buildings for about 20 minutes (apart from the imposing Roman Catholic church). Moreover, the majority of the housing developments nearby look fairly bog standard and could be pretty much anywhere in the UK.
Thankfully nobody is suggesting bulldozing King’s Chapel and building a few tower blocks in its place. Very little in the centre of Cambridge does change and there is something quite comforting about this. The infamous nightclub was still known as Cindies until it finally closed in 2020 despite not officially being called that for decades. What is more, I’m pleased to report that one can still find late night sustenance at Gardies or the Trailer of Life and I will invariably find myself at one of them on a nostalgia-inducing trip there.
I would join the dons of Tim Stanley’s imagination if they attempted to knock down King’s or concrete over Grantchester Meadow. I’d probably even stretch to signing a petition if my ability to get a kebab from Gardies once a year was threatened. However, nobody is suggesting this. Also, as discussed above, much of Cambridge is already quite grim looking and would benefit from some modern developments.
What is more, travelling to Cambridge always seems to feel like more of an ordeal than going to Oxford (despite the fact the railway journey is faster). It has an ‘End of the Line’ feel to it as you arrive and realise that you’re surrounded by marshland. Rather than destroying what makes Cambridge special, more development on the festering fens would actually dramatically improve ‘the feel’ of Cambridge.
This leads us onto what it is that makes Cambridge ‘special’. As discussed above, I agree that there is something about the architecture and history which makes Cambridge special and this should certainly be preserved. However, this clearly isn’t the whole story. There are lots of beautiful and quaint places in England and around the world but they are not as ‘special’ as Cambridge.
What makes Cambridge unique is not only its history and architecture but also the fact that it is home to one of the world’s greatest universities and is a science and technology hub. As such, if we want to keep Cambridge ‘special’ then we do need to preserve the historic centre while also pursuing a radical plan of development which allows it to expand. Cambridge currently attracts tourists and investment due to its history and its reputation but if it is not allowed to expand and build the homes, offices, and labs it needs then one of these will dry up.
If Cambridge does not build the homes it needs for its students, academics, and researchers then the best and brightest will be priced out and instead pursue opportunities in other universities. Moreover, if it does not build more labs and offices then the world’s greatest minds will go to other science and technology hubs. This will create a vicious cycle where it becomes harder and harder for Cambridge to attract and retain talent and investment with the end result being Cambridge and the rest of the UK becoming poorer.
World history is littered with examples of towns, cities, and empires resting on their laurels and becoming nothing more than tourist attractions. No doubt the Tim Stanley’s of this world would welcome Cambridge being preserved in aspic, existing only for a handful of residents and for the memories of former students. However, Cambridge is far too important for us to allow this to happen. Cambridge needs to be able to expand. It needs better transport links to London and the ‘Other Place’. It needs more lab space. It needs more offices. It needs hundreds of thousands of new homes. If we really want to preserve what makes Cambridge special then it needs far more people. Cambridge – and the rest of the UK – needs one million Tabs.