Forest City 1

Forest City 1 is a proposed planned city that would be located east of Cambridge in the East of England and would have a population of up to 1 million. The proposed site straddles the border of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, between the towns of Newmarket and Haverhill.[1] The proposal is being developed and promoted by a private advocacy group Albion City Development Corporation;[2] it is not currently backed by the government.[3]

The project is proposed by Shiv Malik, a former The Guardian journalist, and Joseph Reeve, an entrepreneur.[4] The goals of the project are to deliver affordable housing, environmentally-friendly living and economic growth.[4] The proposal would involve creating a development corporation to develop the city and a community land trust to keep home ownership affordable. It would include rail links, schools, hospitals[4] and a reservoir.[2]

The proposal would build on 45,000 acres (182 km2) and would have a similar population to Greater Glasgow, which has a land area of 279 km2.[5] It would also include 12,000 acres of rewilded forest.[4] Malik describes the proposal as "a huge net gain for nature" compared to the current farmland.[2]

The site currently consists of farmland and villages.[1] According to Reeve, the site was chosen because of its proximity to Cambridge, its currently sparse population density, and its land ownership, with half the land owned by a small number of landowners without generational attachment.[1]

In The Guardian, Helena Horton described the proposal as "ambitious" and noted that the proposal's supporters "span the political spectrum, including Green party campaigners and leaders of rightwing thinktanks".[2] The proposal has drawn opposition from local MP Nick Timothy, who has called it "ridiculous".[4] Jon Reeds from Smart Growth UK has questioned whether it is appropriate to build on farmland as it would "...destroy some of England's most productive and scarce grade 2 farmland."[6][1] It was debated in Parliament on 23 June 2026.[7] A government minister described it as a "speculative proposal" and said they have "no current plans" to proceed with it.[3][8] The developers believe the proposal will still go ahead.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "What will urban living look like in the future?". Positive News. 25 February 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "How ambitious 'forest city' plan for England could become a reality". The Guardian. 23 November 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Government rules out support for 400,000-home Forest City". East Anglian Daily Times. 2026-06-25. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Business duo unveil plans for new garden city". BBC. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  5. ↑ United Kingdom: Countries and Major Urban Areas, CityPopulation.de
  6. ↑ "Why the plan for a 'forest city' is not as green as it sounds". The Guardian. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Forest City: West Suffolk Volume 788: debated on Tuesday 23 June 2026". 23 June 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "New Forest City will 'absolutely' still happen, says developer". BBC News. 2026-06-25. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
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