The OxCam Arc – Putting the Environment at the heart of progress

The Oxford-Cambridge Arc was initiated in 2018 as a cross-Government portfolio designed to unlock the economic and innovation potential of the area between Oxford and Cambridge. Defra Group, and the Environment Agency, have been central to developing approaches that help to put the environment and sustainability at the heart of planning places and change in this location. The Defra Group work has been supported and mirrored by local partners, who have come together across the geography to outline their ambitions through a set of Environmental Principles.

In 2017, the National Infrastructure Commission outlined the transformational economic potential of the Oxford-Cambridge region in its report ‘Partnering for Prosperity’. The Oxford to Cambridge Arc (OxCam) was the name given to the world-leading economic, research and technology area formed of the five ceremonial counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The communities within this area contribute over 2 million jobs and 110 billion of annual GVA whilst providing a place to live for over 3.7 million residents. The area covers 8% of the total land area of England, accounts for 10%+ of England’s economic output, and is home to some of the country’s fastest growing and most innovative places. The natural environment is valuable, so we wanted to, and still want to ensure that meeting the economic potential of the geography incorporates the significant opportunity for environmental improvement. Nature and the environment are not constrained by administrative boundaries, and the regional geography provides the opportunity to deliver significant positive environmental outcomes through long-term coordinated action from the public and private sector.

The Oxford to Cambridge programme has been through a transition, with the shift from a centrally led to a locally led programme underway. The forming proposal headlines environment and sustainability as key elements, building on the success and work of the Environmental Principles and our work as Defra Group, for example the Local Natural Capital Plan and account. The programme recognises the opportunity to tackle the challenges facing the region at scale, transcending traditional boundaries, and collaborating to drive strategic growth and societal change with the environment at its heart. The locally led approach provides local authorities the option to sign up, or not, with the initiative which some have decided not to do. However we in Defra group will continue to work to improve the environment across the whole geography.