Shiv Malik, a former journalist, has unveiled a plan to erect a million‑person Forest City on 12,000 acres of trees 20 miles east of Cambridge. The scheme envisions 400,000 homes, timber skyscrapers and a lake revived from a 1960s reservoir, aiming to ease the UK’s housing deficit. Backers include Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit and builder chief Richard Beresford.

Advisers such as former IFS head Paul Johnson and economist Tim Leunig argue the project could deliver a “meaningful difference” to national housing shortfalls, while architect Steve McAdam now rates its feasibility at 10‑15 percent after initially dismissing it as impossible. Malik seeks £280 million for master‑planning and hopes “romantic capital” will fund the tens of billions required for construction.

Critics compare the venture to Saudi Arabia’s stalled NEOM, warning that remote location, lack of rail links and potential local opposition could stall progress. Yet Malik argues that bold, large‑scale schemes are essential for Britain’s long‑term growth, insisting the government should merely endorse further detail rather than grant approval now. Without a dedicated development corporation, the proposal risks dissolution in Whitehall’s review still.