Plans for a vast new city capable of housing one million people have been unveiled by two entrepreneurs who argue that the Cambridge region is the best place in Britain to support major economic growth. The proposed settlement, named Forest City 1, would be the first new city built in the UK in more than half a century.
Businessmen Shiv Malik and Joseph Reeve outlined their vision at an event in London, where they presented early concepts for a development that would replace thousands of acres of agricultural land in Suffolk. While an exact location has not been confirmed, the pair say the city could be built between Haverhill and Newmarket.
Their plan proposes 400,000 new homes across 45,000 acres, alongside a 12,000-acre forest intended to sit at the heart of the settlement. An initial policy document claims the city could generate a GDP of £55 billion within 20 years, positioning it as one of Europe’s most dynamic urban centres.
Mr Malik, 44, said the project could bring decades of construction work and transform life in surrounding communities. He highlighted Haverhill’s lack of a railway station, arguing that the city would deliver long-overdue transport improvements, new hospitals, dentists, leisure facilities and integrated links with nearby villages. Homes priced around £350,000 are included in the preliminary plans, and the team is considering compensation of up to £1 million per directly affected household.
“This city would be an absolute game-changer for Haverhill.. People’s lives would be transformed and it would provide jobs for decades to come.”
Shiv Malik
Forest City 1 is still at a very early stage. Mr Malik said it would take at least two years before formal plans could be submitted, with parliamentary approval required to establish a development corporation similar to those used for Canary Wharf and the 2012 Olympic site.
Organisers say more than 650 people have already expressed support for the scheme, which they argue could anchor Britain’s next wave of economic expansion.
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