Beyond the immediate priority of recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw unemployment-related benefits claims rise by 15,000 locally, this briefing sets out three priorities (and an issue for government) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that tackle problems which pre-date the pandemic and will persist beyond it.

Policy priority 1: Make Cambridge more affordable for local residents

• Support strategic reviews of the green belt land
• Advocate for the abolition of minimum space standards
• Co-operate with the new planning reforms

Policy priority 2: Cut congestion, clean up the air, and fix the local bus network

• Introduce a congestion charge in Cambridge
• Introduce a toxic air quality charge for the most polluting vehicles in Cambridge and Peterborough
• Take full control of local bus services for all of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Policy priority 3: Improve young people’s skills across the combined authority

• Address poor school performance in Peterborough
• Create a UCAS for Apprenticeships to support those leaving schools find career opportunities

Policy priority for central government 

Central government should end the ‘triple tier’ institutional situation unique to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough that makes it harder to establish a local consensus around policy initiatives.