Plans revealed for temporary community space in Northstowe

Plans to enable a new temporary community space in phase two of Northstowe have been submitted to the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service by Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency.* The temporary space will be capable of supporting a variety of early town centre uses while permanent facilities within the town centre area are delivered. This will also help build on existing amenities in Northstowe, which include the Western Park Sports Pavilion, The Cabin Community Hub, and Northstowe Tap & Social.

The ‘hybrid’ planning application proposes a phased approach to delivery of the temporary community space. The application contains two parts: a detailed part to be delivered initially to provide a space for community events and gatherings, and an outline part where details of landscaping and temporary buildings to accommodate a range of flexible non-residential uses will follow.

The temporary community space will be located opposite Northstowe Learning Community on the western side of Stirling Road, and within the area where Northstowe’s future town centre will be located. The proposals feature a serviced platform and area upon which modular units can be brought in, providing temporary and ‘pop-up’ vendors and operators with the space and opportunity to set up community facilities, events, and other initiatives.

The application includes artist’s impressions which are designed to illustrate the feel of the area and kind of temporary buildings which may be brought forward by developer partners in the future.

The use of the space is flexible in the planning application. Possible uses include:

Class E (Commercial, Business and Services)

Class F1 (institutional uses)

Class F2 (Local Community and Learning)

Sui Generis (public house, wine bar, or drinking establishment).

This could include pop-up cafés, flexible work and creative spaces, stalls, and a play area which foster Northstowe’s independent spirit while supporting the community and local enterprise. The plans also feature landscaped areas that will integrate into the fresh, green feel of the wider town and dedicated car and cycle parking space for visitors.

Businesses which occupy the temporary community space could grow and move into Northstowe’s permanent town centre when developed in line with the changing community needs during the town’s growth over the next two decades. This approach to delivering medium-term community infrastructure has already seen success across the world through developments such as El Jardin de las Intersecciones, Re-green North Kensington, and Manifesto Market in Prague.

Matthew Brown, Head of Large Sites at Homes England, which is master developer for phases two and three of Northstowe, said:

“This application represents our ambition to bring forward a temporary commercial opportunity for a dynamic, adaptable space that local businesses and organisations may go on to use for retail, hospitality, events, and community purposes in the near future.

“It’s part of our vision to support both residents and businesses through Northstowe’s development journey, providing spaces where the community can come together as permanent town centre facilities are planned and developed over the coming years.

“By creating a flexible community space at an early stage in the town’s development, we can also trial different uses and help shape the long-term vision for Northstowe permanent town centre.”

Northstowe is one of the UK’s most significant new towns located near Cambridge city. Upon completion, it will feature a mix of homes, retail, leisure, and community spaces. The town is in its early stages of development and is being delivered in three phases. Phase one is almost complete, totaling approximately 15 per cent of the overall town, and phase two, where the temporary community space is proposed, is already underway.

Already, Northstowe is home to community facilities including an established sports pavilion, central community hub, and thriving taproom, which are supporting residents to lead an active, healthy, and fun lifestyle. Meanwhile, progress continues on the planning and development of the town’s Eastern Sports Hub including a BMX track, a commercial unit in Keepmoat’s Stirling Fields, and a permanent community centre. Upon completion, the permanent community centre will feature a main hall, café, meeting rooms, activity space, town council offices, a courtyard garden, and bicycle parking spaces.

Plans for the new temporary community space proposed follow the collaboration agreement between Homes England, Keepmoat, and Capital&Centric announced last year, which focused on accelerating the delivery of homes and a mixed-use town centre in Northstowe. Homes England continues to liaise with Capital&Centric and other partners to explore innovative ways to activate spaces.

To find out more about Northstowe, visit https://www.northstowe.com/

*Documents will become available on the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website to view and comment upon.