Britain stopped believing the future could be better than the past. We’re here to prove that wrong.
This isn’t another housing development. It’s a complete reimagining of how we can live, work, and thrive in the 21st century. We’re proposing Britain’s first new city in half a century—a forest city of nearly 1 million people, built on 45,000 acres east of Cambridge, surrounded by 12,000 acres of deciduous woodland roughly the size of York.
Why This Matters
The numbers don’t lie. A junior doctor today earns less than they did 17 years ago. Housing costs have spiralled beyond reach. We’ve stopped having children at replacement rates. Despite all our technological advances, the fundamentals of a good life—raising a family, buying a home, building savings—were more attainable a g…
Britain stopped believing the future could be better than the past. We’re here to prove that wrong.
This isn’t another housing development. It’s a complete reimagining of how we can live, work, and thrive in the 21st century. We’re proposing Britain’s first new city in half a century—a forest city of nearly 1 million people, built on 45,000 acres east of Cambridge, surrounded by 12,000 acres of deciduous woodland roughly the size of York.
Why This Matters
The numbers don’t lie. A junior doctor today earns less than they did 17 years ago. Housing costs have spiralled beyond reach. We’ve stopped having children at replacement rates. Despite all our technological advances, the fundamentals of a good life—raising a family, buying a home, building savings—were more attainable a generation ago than they are now.
The reason? We stopped building. And when you can’t build, you can’t have a better future.
A New Model for a New Generation
We’re merging the best ideas from across the political spectrum: a Special Economic Zone to unleash enterprise, and a Community Land Trust to give residents genuine ownership and permanently affordable housing. This isn’t left versus right—it’s about reforming the socio-economic contract for everyone who feels locked out of prosperity.
Instead of cramped, overpriced housing where your money disappears into speculation, imagine four-bedroom Passivhaus-standard townhouses for around £350,000. When you sell, you get the building value, but land appreciation stays with the community—keeping homes affordable for future generations. No council tax burden: ground rents fund your schools, parks, and services.
Instead of business strangled by red tape, imagine a Special Economic Zone where enterprises can invest, adapt, and expand at the pace of innovation itself.
Instead of concrete sprawl, imagine a genuine forest city where nature isn’t an afterthought but woven into daily life, with thousands of acres of parkland and ancient woodland on your doorstep.
For Cambridge, For Britain, For the Future
This isn’t just about housing. Cambridge’s world-leading research institutions and innovative businesses are desperate to build data centres, manufacturing plants, and research labs. They’re being blocked at every turn. Our city unlocks that potential—not just for Cambridge, but for Britain’s entire innovation economy.
If we match Milton Keynes’ productivity, we’ll generate £55bn in annual GDP. That’s not abstract economics—it’s funding for the NHS, schools, infrastructure, and the public services we all depend on.
Who We Are
Albion City Development Corporation (ACDC) was founded by Joe Reeve and Shiv Malik, co-founders of Looking For Growth, the campaign that’s already pushed the Labour government to change planning laws.
Joe, 28, is an entrepreneur who believes Britain’s best days should be ahead of us, not behind us. His successful campaigns—from cleaning the tube to championing growth—prove that determined action can move mountains.
Shiv, 44, is a former investigative journalist, tech entrepreneur, and co-author of Jilted Generation: How Britain Bankrupted Its Youth. He’s spent years documenting how we failed a generation. Now he’s building the solution.
We’re backed by some of Britain’s most respected voices on growth and prosperity, including Dame Patricia Hewitt (former Secretary of State for Trade and Health) and LSE Professor Tim Leunig (advisor to multiple chancellors). We’re building a board of advisors who share our conviction that Britain can—and must—think bigger.
This Is About You
Whether you’re a young professional priced out of homeownership, a parent wanting stable communities where your children can thrive, a business leader frustrated by planning barriers, or a local resident concerned about your community’s future—this project is designed with you in mind.
We’re not asking for government funding. We’re asking for permission and partnership. Because Britain deserves better than managed decline. We deserve a future that proves modernity still works, that progress is real, and that the impossible is only impossible until someone builds it.