In various parts of the UK, both residents and Members of Parliament are raising concerns over the failure of developers, councils, and the government to deliver on essential amenities previously promised during the planning stages of new housing developments. This issue has led to complaints about estates lacking critical facilities like GP surgeries, schools, green spaces, and necessary road improvements, with such omissions described as rendering new estates ‘soulless’ and adversely affecting residents’ mental health and social relationships. Critics, including representatives from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, attribute this problem to years of underfunding and deregulation under Conservative administrations, which have left communities deprived of important services.

A particular focus has been on modern housing estates that often lack amenities such as affordable housing, playgrounds, and medical facilities, despite original assurances from developers. This situation is exemplified in Frome, Somerset, where a new school intended to serve 450 houses has not been built, and in Paddock Wood, Kent, where new housing developments are putting a strain on already stretched local GP services. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities acknowledges the problem, although it does not have precise data on the scale of the issue.

Experts argue that the current planning system allows for profit to be prioritized over the delivery of comprehensive infrastructure and services, leading to incomplete development projects and unmet promises. In response, measures are being considered to address these issues, including efforts through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act, which aims to hold developers more accountable and ensure that vital infrastructure and affordable housing are delivered more reliably.

Simultaneously, Cambridge, an important hub for innovation in the UK, faces its own infrastructure challenges. Leading academics, developers, and tech business leaders from the group Cambridge Ahead, including representatives from chipmaker Arm and the University of Cambridge, have highlighted that the city’s potential for growth and innovation is at risk without significant improvements in housing, water, and transport infrastructure. Despite Cambridge’s significant advancements in sectors like life sciences and high-tech manufacturing, the lack of affordable housing and constrained water supply, among other infrastructure deficits, poses a threat to sustaining its growth momentum.

The situation in Cambridge, alongside broader concerns aired by residents and MPs across the UK, underscores the pressing need for a more comprehensive and accountable approach to infrastructure development, one that crucially includes social amenities like health and education to support sustainable community growth and wellbeing.