Campaigners have warned Oxfordshire’s countryside could be “swamped” with thousands of new homes if plans go ahead for an Oxford to Cambridge railway line.
East West Rail’s scheme will create new direct services running between the two university cities as part of plans to capitalise on what is known as the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
The globally significant area, which also encompasses Bicester and Milton Keynes, is home to a range of science and technology businesses and it is hoped the new line will attract more growth.
The Oxford to Bicester section of the route was completed in 2016 at a cost of £270 million and the next stage is set to be completed by 2025.
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Despite the Government suggesting the rail link could deliver a £111 billion boost to the economy, members of campaign group Stop the Arc have warned Oxfordshire councils will come under significant pressure to build more housing and that urban developments will sprawl across the countryside.
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Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran, who has backed the rail link, said it came as “no surprise” that people were suspicious the new line could act as a trigger for additional development.
Chairman of Stop the Arc, Charles Pither, said the rail line was a “veiled way of getting more houses in”.
He said: “Most of the growth which comes from the railway line will come from building houses.
“These housing developments will trash the green belt, destroy good agricultural land, reduce biodiversity and massively increase stress on infrastructure such as education, health and water.”
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The Stop the Arc Group was launched to challenge a proposed Expressway between Oxford to Cambridge, which threatened to cross the wetlands of Otmoor and the ancient forest of Bernwood.
The government dropped its support for the pledge to build one million homes in the Arc area in 2021.
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Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Layla Moran, said: “East-West Rail should have been delivered years ago.
“It will speed up journey times to Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes and improve connections to the wider rail network.
“It will encourage a switch from road to rail, reducing traffic on our congested local road network.
“It is not surprising that some local residents are suspicious that a new rail line would be a trigger for additional development.”
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East-West Rail’s business report predicts the line could lead to an increase in 179,300 workers but only 7,990 of these are expected to be regular rail commuters.
William Harold, co-founder of Cambridge Approaches, a campaign group which has challenged East-West Rail’s plans, warned the line was “all about housing”.
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He said: “Every time there is a new station, they want to expand the housing in the surrounding area.
“Small cities such as Cambridge and Oxford don’t attract the same number of commuters as lines to London would.
“The expected low passenger numbers mean this line needs more housing to be economically viable.”
Nick Burton, a Stop the Arc spokesman, said: “The line requires a massive 89,000 house building programme along the line from Bletchley to Cambridge.
“But 95 per cent of these new houses will actually be for people who will have to find jobs elsewhere.
“If these houses cannot or will not be built then it will significantly increase the pressure on Oxfordshire councils to approve more houses to fill the resulting shortfall to justify East West Rail.”
Matthew Stanton, head of planning and advocacy at Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust said: “We are seeing huge levels of development in our area in terms of housing, infrastructure, warehouses and roads, and the cumulative impact of it all on our natural environment must be considered.”
However, Anthony Breach, a senior analyst at centre for cities, called for green belts in Oxford and Cambridge to be “released around stations and along railway infrastructure if the two cities are to get the most benefit from the additional investment”.
He said: “Oxford and Cambridge each play a unique role in the national economy, and supporting their growth is important for national prosperity.
“Both cities also face very severe housing crises.
“If the two cities instead reject growth and prioritise their green belts over national prosperity and solving their local housing crisis, then public investment should go to other cities that are trying to solve their economic problems.”
The construction of the rail link was planned to take place in three stages and currently work has progressed to the second stage, which involves creating a connection between Oxford and Bedford.
Sections of the line which run between Bicester and Bletchley or Milton Keynes will also be upgraded.
An East West Rail spokesman said its remit was to make journeys “easier and to create new opportunities for local people by building fast, reliable and sustainable public transport - not to build homes”.
The spokesman said new housing would be up to local decision makers and this also applies to impacts on water supply and other utilities.
He added: “The new railway will not only connect places all the way through to Cambridge, opening up new connections and opportunities to visit friends and relatives around the country without the need to make multiple changes via London.
A government spokesman said: “Housing targets for local areas are set through councils’ local plans.
“The Spring Statement confirmed our commitment to delivering East-West Rail as a significant opportunity to unlock productivity in the region, boosting economic growth both locally and nationally through improved connectivity and access to jobs, education and training, housing and leisure.”
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