Next stage of new town build to be 'accelerated'

18 hours ago

Alex Pope

Mousumi Bakshi/BBC A row of new-build houses with a green meadow in front of them. There are flowers and grass in the meadow. The houses are made of brick with gabled roofs. There are a few trees and the sky is grey. — Northstowe is being built in different stages

The building of the next stage of 1,000 homes in a new town has been "accelerated", a housing agency has said.

Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency, and builders Vistry said the next set of properties in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, could start being built by 2027.

The plans include a local centre, a primary school, roads, utilities and green spaces.

Developers said 40% of the homes would be affordable and residents were expected to move in by 2028.

Emma Howgego/BBC A sign that says Northstowe. It is a white concrete plinth with the name written in metal. A building is in the background to the right. There are signs on a lamp post and trees can be seen in the distance behind the plinth. There is a row of flags on the right. — The new town is expected to grow steadily over the next few years

Northstowe, about eight miles (13km) north of Cambridge, is set to be the UK's biggest new town since Milton Keynes.

Outline planning permission was granted in 2014 and the first residents moved in in 2017.

More than 1,500 homes and a primary school have been built.

Once finished, it will have about 10,000 new homes and an anticipated population of around 26,000 people.

The developers said more than £20m would be spent on social infrastructure. Planning contributions will also be made through a Section 106 agreement, a legally binding arrangement between a developer and a local authority.

It is hoped a planning application will be submitted by the end of the year.

"The deal will help increase the rate at which new homes are built, while ensuring they are delivered alongside the supporting infrastructure and amenities set out in the plans," the developers said.

Stephen Teagle, chief executive of partnerships and regeneration at Vistry, said it would deliver "much-needed mixed-tenure homes alongside the vital infrastructure required for communities to thrive".

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