Professor Nigel Slater has stepped down from his role as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise and Regional Affairs, a statement from the University revealed this week.

Professor Slater, a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, will continue in his role until the end of the year, “after which time the role will be carried out by the wider senior leadership team,” a University spokesperson said.

As part of his responsibilities, Professor Slater sits on the executive board of the controversial Greater Cambridge City Deal, a project aimed at improving the quality of life and prospects of Cambridge residents. The City Deal, one of several similar projects across the country, seeks to tackle the problems surrounding housing, transport and training opportunities for local residents which have arisen following the city’s rapid development as a global research and technology hub. The project has a budget of £1 billion over 15 years.

Campaigners, including local MPs, councillors and residents’ groups, have highlighted several issues with the proposals of the City Deal. Controversy has centred on its plans to deal with congestion, particularly the Peak-time Congestion Control Points (PCCPs). The measures would see six roads in central Cambridge closed to all vehicles, except buses, bicycles, taxis and emergency vehicles, during rush hour. 

The University specifically has also been accused of a conflict of interest regarding the proposals to create a new bus route between Cambridge and Cambourne, with the proposed route running through University-owned farmland. Campaigners say the plans threaten green belt land between Madingley Mulch roundabout and West Cambridge.

The University’s statement was preceded earlier this year by the resignation of John Bridge OBE, chief executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, from the board of the City Deal. Professor Slater’s resignation means that the board is now down to three of its original five members.

In their statement, the University said that “Professor Nigel Slater decided to stand down in order to focus on his research interests and his role as Professor of Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.” They added: “The search for a new Pro-Vice-Chancellor is underway”.

Professor Slater was appointed in January last year. According to a Cambridge University Reporter bulletin, following his resignation, the role’s title will be changed to “Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Business Relations)”, reflecting its responsibility to “enhance and develop the University’s engagements and partnerships with industry and commerce, and the wider enterprise economy in the University’s immediate region.”

Although there has been no information released as yet regarding the University’s future representation on the City Deal board, the spokesperson affirmed that “the University remains committed to its City and regional responsibilities and leadership”