cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/23361980

Rachel Reeves will say the so-called “Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor” has “the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley" in a major speech she will give in Oxfordshire today.

The Chancellor will claim the region offers “huge economic potential for our nation’s growth prospects”.

It comes after cabinet ministers were ordered to ditch policies that could stand in the way of growing the economy.

As part of the delivery of what Ms Reeves will call the “Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor”, she will also touch on funding for East West Rail, a railway line that would connect the cities, as well as a new railway station in Tempsford in Bedfordshire.

She will say the cities are “two of the least affordable in the UK” and existing transport options mean that to travel between them “by train takes two-and-a-half hours” while “there is no way to commute directly from towns like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridg

A faceless sculpture of Prince Philip, once described by a council planner as “possibly the poorest quality work” ever submitted, will be taken down years after it was erected without planning permission.

Standing outside a Cambridge office block, the 4-metre bronze statue depicted the late queen’s husband in academic robes with an abstract face resembling a twisted owl mask.

Called The Don, it was designed to commemorate his 35 years as chancellor of Cambridge University but its critical reception was savage, with one art critic describing it as “detritus masquerading as public art”.

The £150,000 work attracted so much controversy that no artist has admitted to making it. The Unex Group, which is understood to have commissioned the work, previously said it was by the Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry, but this was denied by the artist, who said it was “an abuse” to suggest he made it.

They must get turned into streaks to be eaten somewhere right? It'd be nice if every morning that I have to ride my bike through their wet piles of shit, I can think to myself: "at least I'll get to eat you at ________ in a few months".

A tiny bit better, but still not yet the right solution!

My wife and I often walk around Trumpington and through the current park and ride car park and I don't think we've ever seen the car park anywhere close to capacity so I can't imagine why this extra car park is required.

Of course, the smart money is on the fact it will be required when the congestion charge kicks in, but that'll be before this "hub" is anywhere close to being completed!

Ha ha! Some of these are petty, I don't know what people expect!

Looking at the plans for the Beehive, I think it's way too ambitious and I can't see it being fully utilised.

Also, that side of the retail park has all of the thriving stores, where are they all going to move to?!

Is the redevelopment of the Beehive necessary?

Where are all the current businesses supposed to move to, if at all?

Do we really need more laboratories and offices in Cambridge?

Where are all the new workers for theses labs and offices supposed to park or travel in from?

OK, so this is a hot topic in Cambridge, what are your thoughts on the proposed congestion charge for Cambridge city?

My personal opinion is that I'm not opposed to a congestion charge, I just don't think that the proposed plan is a fair or good solution. As we can all appreciate, traffic in Cambridge is very busy and that something needs to be done. We do have a great Park & Ride infrastructure, but some of the other bus routes could do with improving. I personally use the P&R occasionally and it works for me, but I know some people that need to take multiple busses to get across the city.

I live in the proposed zone, however I am right on the edge and I work outside of Cambridge so I will be paying to leave Cambridge!!!

Also, as an EV owner I appreciate that all cars cause congestion and this isn't an environmental push.

This proposal, to me, seems an easy cash cow for GCP, it is being implemented for week days only, so affecting people travelling to work and by excluding weekend