Twenty Questions for Mega-project Developers

Twenty Concerns about Mega-projects such as Forest City 1 (Following on from my earlier Forest City Critique)

Last year news was released of a private initiative to build a £100 billion, 45,000 acre city of 400,000 homes in the countryside east of the city of Cambridge.

Upon hearing about the proposal, called Forest City 1, which would count as Britain’s largest ever such ‘mega-development’ and is intended to be the first of several, I scrutinised it in great detail.

What I found deeply concerned me as, like many of us, I care deeply about the heritage and landscape of Britain and regard anything which may irrevocably damage it as a possible threat. So, with this in mind, using the information I discovered, I published a detailed critique of the proposals in order to share these concerns.

Recently I began writing a follow-up to that article including a list of concerns to pose developers of Forest City and any such future developments.

This follow-up did not originally have a target date to be published by (I write as a pastime), but the announcement of a series of “come and meet us in your local pub” Q & A sessions to be held by developers Shiv Malik and Joe Reeves, beginning on the 24th of February, brought things forward.

So, as a resource for attendees of the Q & A sessions, and for similar projects in the future, I have published this list of concerns, I hope they may be of some use.

Concerns

Environmental and Land Use Impacts

1. How will the development of farmland into cities address the loss of agricultural land, and what measures are in place to mitigate food production shortfalls or support displaced farmers? (Forest City: 45,000 acres, approx 0.105% of total UK total of 43 million acres of ag land)

2. How will plans to create acres of new forest for biodiversity integrate with existing local ecosystems, and what independent assessments will be / have been carried out on potential risks like habitat fragmentation or invasive species? (FC: 12,000 acres of new forest proposed)

3. What studies will be / have been conducted on water usage, flood risks, and soil quality in proposed areas, given the scale of construction and the addition of power infrastructure such as solar farms and small modular reactors?

4. How will waste management, recycling, and pollution control be handled during and after construction to prevent negative effects on nearby rivers, air quality, or wildlife corridors?

Housing Affordability and Access

5. With proposals emphasising ‘permanently affordable’ homes how will the pricing hold up against inflation, and what guarantees are there that local residents get priority over outsiders? (FC: around £350,000 for a four-bedroom house via a Community Land Trust model)

6. With resident selection how do you plan to ensure the project doesn’t displace or price out current locals, and what criteria define ‘legacy residents’? (FC: only 7% allocated to legacy residents and 15% first-come-first-served)

7. If covenants exclude second homeowners and long-term private landlords how will these be enforced, and what happens if demand from businesses or merit-based applicants overwhelms slots for ordinary families?

8. How do plans account for diverse housing needs, such as accessible units for the elderly or disabled, or options for renters rather than just buyers?

Infrastructure and Transport

9. With transport systems relying on an EV-only setup with underground parking, trams, and metro lines, as suggested for FC, what are the timelines and funding sources for connecting these to existing roads, and how will traffic congestion be managed during construction? (FC will connect to the A11 or A14)

10. What impact assessments have been done on increased vehicle or rail traffic through nearby communities, and who will pay for any necessary upgrades to local infrastructure? (FC: extensions to the East-West rail and M11 mentioned)

11. How will full 6G and fiber connectivity be rolled out without disrupting existing services, and what backups are planned for power outages from new energy sources?

Community Services and Social Impacts

12. Plans may include schools, hospitals, and leisure centers funded by ground rents but how can local residents be assured that these won’t strain existing NHS or education resources during the build-out phase?

13. What provisions are there for community input from current residents in the design of public spaces, policing, or maintenance, especially since such cities may be self-sustaining and owned by a unitary body?

14. How will projects create jobs for local people versus importing workers, and what training or apprenticeship programs are planned to benefit existing communities?

15. Given criticisms that the proposals seem “unrealistic” or lack political support, what fallback plans exist if government backing or legislation doesn’t materialise by the end of this Parliament?

Timeline, Feasibility, and Oversight

16. What are the specific milestones for each phase in such developments, and how will delays be communicated to affected residents? (FC phased timeline aims for groundbreaking soon and bulk homes in 6 to 10 years)

17. Who are the confirmed investors or funding partners, and how will cost overruns be handled without burdening local taxpayers? (Estimated cost of FC is £100 billion)

18. What independent oversight or environmental impact assessments will be required before any work starts, and will there be ongoing public consultations for residents in surrounding areas?

19. Why was this specific location chosen over brownfield sites or expanding existing towns, and what alternatives were considered to minimise disruption to rural communities?

20. How do you respond to local concerns that this could turn the area into a “recipe for disaster” in terms of overdevelopment, and what evidence supports the claim of generating £55 billion in GDP benefits?

A little lane—the brook runs close beside,

and spangles in the sunshine, while the fish glide swiftly by;

and hedges leafing with the green springtide;

from out their greenery the old birds fly,

and chirp and whistle in the morning sun.

From On a Lane in Spring, by John Clare

Alex Burton-Hargreaves

(Feb 2026)