The latest progress at Northstowe

Having provided £16.4m in funding for a new civic hub, and approximately £1.25m for community support and development, Homes England has been busy helping to enable the next stage in Northstowe’s exciting journey.

Already, a thriving community is beginning to develop in the town, with local groups including Northstowe Arts bringing community creativity and inspiration, and spaces like the newly opened Temporary Community Building set to open up great new opportunities for residents to come together. You can read more about some of the brilliant community initiatives and activities already taking place in the area on the Northstowe Arts website. 

In preparation for the town’s future, critical utility infrastructure, as well as extensive land clearance, levelling, remediation and preparation works have already been delivered at phase 2. Getting ready for the next generation of residents, Homes England has also made substantial land and financial contributions, which have enabled two high-quality occupied schools, serving the whole of Northstowe and surrounding community.

Now, at Northstowe phases two and three, Homes England is making way for development by contributing government-owned land and funding, as well as preparing the area for homes, schools and other essential amenities, including public open space, main road infrastructure, footpaths, cycleways and utilities.

Here’s an update on some of the latest news at Northstowe!

New access road

The new access road is almost completed, with a few details left to be finalised before it can open to the public. Further information will be communicated in relation to the opening of the road; please keep an eye out for further updates via the Northstowe website and social media channels. Homes England will be able to answer questions in due course.

Lakes and active travel

Since our last update, we've almost finished constructing a vast area of lakes, nature access points, cycleways and walkways in phase two. These fantastic facilities will open shortly after we give the landscaping time to settle, in order to prevent any damage. In the meantime, we're keeping an eye on the water quality in the lakes to ensure the safety of residents and suitability for possible future water-based activities.

New homes

Keepmoat Homes is also currently developing 300 new homes. Construction is in full swing, and they are also set to provide a commercial unit and a fully equipped play area as part of their plans.

Community Facilities

Do you remember our outline proposals for a Sports Hub? These were consulted on at the outline planning stage. We've since been consulting with the District Council on the pitch layout and orientation through a very precise and technical process, and we're submitting a planning application this summer for some much-needed land preparation work to get this area ready for construction. We showcased these plans at the last Community Forum.

The planning application marks an area that includes:

- 1x Senior Football pitch

- 4x Mini Football pitches (ages 5-9)

- 1x Junior Football pitch (ages 10-12)

- 1x Junior Football pitch (ages 13-17)

- 1x Cricket field

- Cricket training nets

- Along with extensive landscaping

The Phase 2 Sports Pavilion will be delivered by the Council at a later stage. In the meanwhile we’ll be developing plans for an adjacent BMX track and neighbourhood play area with skate park with the community's input.Homes England is looking to deliver some key town centre facilities early on land opposite Northstowe Secondary School. More information to follow so keep an eye on the website and social media.

It’s also been great to see some exciting town-wide milestones reached recently, with the Temporary Community Building on The Green now officially open and provided by South Cambridgeshire District Council. The building features artwork from the local community inspired by local nature, and it’s set to provide a great space for the town to come together through events and activities. The facility includes office space, an NHS room and two large community rooms that residents and community groups can book for activities from arts workshops to sports group meetings. The Council is also building the Phase 1 Sports Pavilion which is under construction not far from this exciting community space.

And looking ahead, construction is due to start on expanding the Sixth Form building at Northstowe Secondary College later this year, along with another Primary School enabled by land and funding from Homes England. This essential community provision will make way for the new student population set to grow over the coming years as Northstowe continues to develop.

Heritage

Finally, we're delighted that our support has helped to bring the stunning new Heritage Sculpture to life. Developed with the community and completed by a local artist with the help of Northstowe Arts, the sculpture will initially reside in the Community Centre and later be transferred to the Heritage Building near the Homes England offices.