Why your vote on Britain's new city matters - even if you're only here for three years
Co-founder of Forest City and co-founder of the Looking For Growth campaign.
You're here for three years, maybe four. You're not from Cambridge, Norwich, or Chelmsford. You'll probably leave after graduation. And you're a student. The lack of affordable housing you keep hearing about feels distant, irrelevant, someone else's problem.
Here's why it should feel like your problem. And here's why Forest City is part of the solution.
The transient voter myth
There's a persistent belief that students voting for local council issues doesn't matter because of the transient nature of students. This is a convenient perception for people who don't want student voices in planning debates.
But your voice does matter. Let's look at the maths.
No, really.
In Cambridge, the university population is approximately 25,000 people in a city of 145,000. That's 17% of the population. Even accounting for students registered elsewhere, that's still circa 10,000 people with a local council vote.
At UEA, students make up nearly a third of Norwich's population in term time. Student voters are not irrelevant minorities. They're massive voting blocs that politicians often choose to ignore.
Why something as dull as housing planning matters
Having somewhere to live whilst you study
Your university experience depends on regional planning: student accommodation, cafes, train stations, hospitals - all the result of regional planning. In August 2025, Cambridge City Council rejected a request from Wolfson College to convert a house into student housing to preserve general housing stock, despite the college citing a critical need for more accommodation.
Building Forest City would reduce pressure on existing student housing by giving other residents somewhere affordable to live. More housing for them; more housing for you.
Your job prospects after graduation
Your job prospects depend on regional economics: many graduates want to stay near Cambridge but can't afford to. If Forest City goes ahead, Canary Wharf-style economic incentives will attract hundreds of new companies. That will create more opportunities for placement years, more internships and improved campus recruitment.
Having somewhere to live after you study
Your generation's future depends on proving that large-scale housing can work: Britain hasn't built a new city in over 50 years. Housing has become unaffordable across Britain - not just in Cambridge or London, but everywhere.
Forest City isn't just about Cambridge. It's a test case. If it succeeds, it proves Britain can still build cities. And its success depends in large part on the support of students with the vote. Students who care enough about the future to make their voices heard.
Students like you.
The political economics of student engagement
Homeowners over 55 are organized, vote reliably, and oppose new housing because it might affect surrounding property values. Politicians listen because ignoring them costs votes.
But politicians respond to pressure.
Historically, students haven't hefted much voting weight into housing. So politicians assume you're safe to ignore. But you can change that.
When students organised around tuition fees in 2010, it resonated so powerfully that politicians were unable to ignore it. When students engaged in climate policy, it forced meaningful changes.
When you get involved and make clear you're watching, politicians respond.
What you can do to support Forest City
Sign the pledge at forestcity.uk.
Share the pledge on socials, participate in consultations, rope in your student union, email your MP to tell them that you're a supporter.
It takes just 30 seconds to sign the pledge. But thousands of signatures sends a clear signal to our government that something needs to be done.
Supporting Forest City is civic participation. It's learning how to organise, build coalitions and influence policy. These are skills you'll use for the rest of your life. And this is democracy at its most tangible.
The timeline for success
2025 to 2026
Students organise, thousands sign the pledge
2026 to 2027
Government sees young people supporting the building of a new city
2027 to 2028
Legislation passes (and you graduate - congratulations!)
2029 to 2031
Construction begins
2032 to 2035
The first Forest City homes are ready to move into
If you're a first year student now, you'd be around 25 to 28 years old when Forest City homes become available. Instead of dreaming of owning a home, you could actually be living in one. In the newest city in the world.
This timeline only happens if students engage now.
The bottom line
You might only be here for three years. But in those three years, decisions will be made that will determine the next 30 years of the East of England's development.
You can choose to accept what previous generations have handed down to you. Or you can be instrumental in shaping the future. Your future.
You're only here for three years. Make them count.