The government’s minister of state for housing and planning has dismissed reports of a plan to build 250,000 new homes in Cambridge to turn it into the ”Silicon Valley of Europe” as “speculation”.

Rachel Maclean MP was asked if a report of major Cambridge expansion plans which appeared in the Sunday Times over the weekend was true during the Built Environment Committee meeting on Tuesday. 

“It was a report in the national newspapers based on speculation. It was not, let’s be clear, an announcement,” Maclean said.

“What was published in the Sunday Times was speculation taken from various leaked documents that had been provided in whatever ways these leaked documents are provided. 

She added: “I can’t comment on the speculation, but I can say this is not currently government policy.”