The Growth Committee of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Council met on Tuesday 03 November 2026 to discuss a range of key strategic initiatives. The committee recommended to the Combined Authority Board to approve the allocation of £1,553,846 in grant funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to progress the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS). The committee also recommended to the Combined Authority Board to agree the Water Resilience Plan and to approve the content of the proposed revised Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP). The committee noted the content of the Director's Highlight Report, the update and next steps on the Local Growth Plan delivery, the content of the update report on the delivery of the Connecting Cambridgeshire Digital Connectivity Strategy, and the Committee's Work Programme.

Spatial Development Strategy

The committee recommended that the Combined Authority Board approve the allocation of £1,553,846 in grant funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to progress the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) between 2026/27 and 2028/29. Progress on the SDS, including its visioning, was noted, as was the latest position on planning powers for mayors. The committee was informed that the formal commencement of the SDS process is awaiting forthcoming regulations from the government, expected in November 2026. Work is ongoing to develop the evidence base, including a place-based vision that synthesizes existing strategies such as the Local Growth Plan and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The committee also noted the government's consultation on introducing additional planning powers for mayors, which could include the ability to call in planning applications and take over decision-making from local planning authorities. The Mayor's response to the consultation welcomed these proposals, emphasizing the need for adequate resourcing and clarity on delegation arrangements.

Water Resilience Plan

The committee recommended that the Combined Authority Board agree the Water Resilience Plan and noted the approach to Resilience Funding. The plan, developed by Water Resources East, identifies four priority areas for action: reducing demand, increasing availability, building resilient infrastructure, and improving incident preparedness and response. The plan highlights the significant challenges faced by the region, including water scarcity, pressure on wastewater systems, and systemic flood risk. The committee engaged in a detailed discussion about the plan, with councillors raising points about influencing its direction, the importance of skills development, communication with residents, and the potential conflict of interest for water companies in reducing water usage while profiting from sales. The plan emphasizes the Combined Authority's role in convening, influencing, and supporting delivery, with a focus on embedding water resilience into key strategies like the Spatial Development Strategy.

Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP)

The committee recommended that the Combined Authority Board approve the content of the proposed revised Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP) and noted the progress made to date. The LRAP outlines the strategy for identifying and remediating unsafe external wall systems on residential buildings over 11 metres in height. The revised plan incorporates feedback from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and reflects changes in legislation. The report detailed the number of buildings in scope, assessed, and requiring remediation across different local authority areas, noting that while progress is being made, the remediation process itself is lengthy and the responsibility lies with building owners. The committee was reassured that remediation does not necessarily mean a building is unsafe, and interim measures are often in place.

Director's Highlight Report

The committee noted the content of the Director's Highlight Report. This report provided updates on several key areas, including the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Programme, where a draft action plan was being developed for approval by December. A significant achievement highlighted was the completion of the Affordable Housing Programme, with 1,453 units delivered. Updates were also provided on the Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, which is transitioning to a Place Delivery Agreement to accelerate housing delivery. Councillor Goodall raised concerns about the committee being bypassed on the Homes England agreement, leading to a discussion about the pace of government demands and potential adjustments to the committee's meeting schedule. Councillor Hussle also raised concerns about potential clashes with committee dates if additional meetings were introduced. Councillor Hussle also made several points regarding the Warm Homes Plan, homelessness strategy briefings, and the Local Area Energy Plan underspend, all of which were noted.

Local Growth Plan Delivery Update

The committee noted the update and next steps on the Local Growth Plan delivery. The report detailed the progress made since the plan's launch in December 2025, including the establishment of a cross-Combined Authority LGP programme management board, which also oversees the Spatial Development Strategy. The work of the Growth Hub, the visitor economy team, the inward investment team, and the collaboration with Homes England were highlighted. KPMG has been appointed to support the delivery of the Local Growth Plan, focusing on refining the investment pipeline, developing an investment framework, creating investment cases, reviewing the directorate's structure, and producing a delivery plan. Councillor Holtzor emphasized the need for clearer communication about what growth means to residents, highlighting its link to jobs, investment, and essential services like roads. Judith Barker, Executive Director for Place and Economy, acknowledged this and noted that the visioning work for the Spatial Development Strategy would address these broader ambitions.

Connecting Cambridgeshire Digital Connectivity Strategy - Progress Update for 2025-2026

The committee noted the content of the update report on the delivery of the Digital Connectivity Strategy 2025-29. Sarah Marsh, Programme Director for Connecting Cambridgeshire, reported that broadband and mobile coverage in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough continue to exceed national and East of England averages. However, challenges remain regarding the reduction in government funding for digital infrastructure and slower-than-forecast delivery by City Fibre under Project Gigabit. The programme is working to support commercial delivery and leverage any future government funding. Councillors raised concerns about mobile coverage in rural areas and the potential for a repeat of the Mayor's mobile roundtable. The importance of data security was also raised, with assurances that the CambWifi public access Wi-Fi is secure and does not capture user data. The committee also discussed the challenges of coordinating utility company works and the potential for sharing facilities to reduce disruption.

Work Programme

The committee noted the Committee's Work Programme. The Chair acknowledged the potential need to review meeting frequency based on the pace of work and government demands. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Tuesday, 08 December 2026.

Decisions Made:

• Spatial Development Strategy: Recommended to the Combined Authority Board to approve the allocation of £1,553,846 in grant funding from MHCLG to progress the SDS. Noted progress on the SDS visioning and the latest position on mayoral planning powers.
• Water Resilience Plan: Recommended to the Combined Authority Board to agree the Water Resilience Plan and noted the approach to Resilience Funding.
• Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP): Recommended to the Combined Authority Board to approve the content of the proposed revised LRAP and noted progress to date.
• Director's Highlight Report: Noted the content of the report.
• Local Growth Plan Delivery Update: Noted the update and next steps.
• Connecting Cambridgeshire Digital Connectivity Strategy - Progress Update for 2025-2026: Noted the content of the update report.
• Work Programme: Noted the Committee's Work Programme.
• Minutes of the previous meeting: Approved the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2026 as an accurate record and noted the action log.

Decisions Still to Come:

• The Spatial Development Strategy timetable requires approval from the Combined Authority Board in January 2027 and then the Secretary of State.
• The Water Resilience Plan requires agreement from the Combined Authority Board on 25 November.
• The Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP) requires approval from the Combined Authority Board.
• The Local Growth Plan delivery plan is expected to be approved in March 2027.
• The Connecting Cambridgeshire Digital Connectivity Strategy will continue to be updated.
• The date of the next meeting was set for Tuesday, 08 December 2026.