The National Federation of Builders (NFB) is backing plans to build the UK’s first city in over 50 years saying it will enable growth, help solve the housing crisis and create something as “well loved as the NHS”
The Forest City 1 project is looking to option land over 45,000 acres to the east of Cambridge and south of Newmarket, in order to build over 400,000 homes for 1 million people and unlock Cambridge’s growth potential.
Author and former journalist Shiv Malik said,
“The National Federation of Builders (NFB) have been behind every major UK building boom since their formation in 1880. They understand the grit and determination it will take to drag the UK out of its current stagnation. They also have the talent to create amazing, nature-rich and dynamic places for the next generation of Britons who want to own a home and raise a family. That they are supporting this is a strong signal of the prospects this project will unlock for the country.”
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said:
“Forest City 1 is a chance for the UK to reinvent placemaking, land use and the planning system. It can serve as a blueprint for growth, while solving some of the greatest challenges the nation faces such as the housing emergency, nature depletion and the skill crisis. It needs to be taken seriously and we certainly back the proposal.”
Beresford continued: “Forest City 1 is thinking about how abundant nature and healthy communities can and should co-exist. It is a concept that many individual policies try to enable but, as they are siloed, fail to achieve. It’s a chance for this government, who has a mission to enable growth and solve the housing crisis, to leave a mark as well loved as the NHS.”
“For the construction industry, the prospect of decades of work is incredibly exciting and will help train the hundreds of thousands of workers our industry needs. And because quality is a theme which runs throughout the project, the nation’s SME [Small and Medium Enterprises] housebuilders and regional contractors – particularly members of the NFB, some of which once built Britain’s last great cities – know they will be viewed as key to meeting the high standards Forest City 1 demands.”
A variety of infrastructure industry giants are on the board
The announcement from the NFB, comes a week after the project, led by entrepreneurs Shiv Malik and Joe Reeve, announced its board whose seats will be filled by veteran figures from urban development, economics and politics.
Those joining Forest City’s board include Jackie Sadek, a former government appointed advisor on regeneration and current chair of the London-Cambridge Innovation Corridor; Steve McAdam, one of the lead architects behind the Kings Cross redevelopment and the London Olympic and post-Olympic masterplans, and Dr Tim Leunig, a former economic advisor to Sajiv Javid and Rishi Sunak as Chancellors. The Forest City board will be chaired by Dame Patricia Hewitt, former Labour Health secretary and Secretary of State of Trade and Industry for four years.
