Homes England goes to TOWN for Northstowe co-housing project 

Homes England has appointed profit-with-purpose developer, TOWN, to establish a new cohousing community in Northstowe.

Following the success of its Marmalade Lane cohousing community, TOWN’s proposal will bring together high-quality design, good placemaking principles, and a commitment to creating a connected community at Phase 2D1 of Northstowe. The strategic site for development lies to the south of Northstowe’s future town centre and is located along the new access road. Featuring 40% affordable housing, the proposals will include cohousing, alongside other market tenure housing and shared community spaces.  

The project builds on the success and learnings from Marmalade Lane, a 42-home cohousing development in Orchard Park, Cambridge, delivered by TOWN and completed in 2019. Marmalade Lane has been celebrated as an exemplar for new housing development and currently has a waiting list for a home within the community of over 400 households – enough to fill the development another nine times over.  

The Insights from Marmalade Lane post-occupancy report highlighted the impact that the development has had on the lives of its residents and the social value it continues to generate for them and the wider community, which is in-keeping with Northstowe’s ethos as a place centred around wellbeing and sustainability. 

TOWN's vision for Northstowe is closely aligned with the long-term goals set by Homes England. It will help to enable a greener future for residents, champion the emerging community’s independent, pioneering spirit, and support a healthy lifestyle for people in Northstowe.  TOWN are looking forward to working in partnership with Homes England to ensure the proposals for Phase 2D1 benefit people and planet alike.

Homes England is committed to making Northstowe a vibrant and successful place. A key component of this will be to provide a diverse range of housing types and tenures. Building on the existing Market and Affordable Homes - including Northstowe Discount Market Sales Homes for first-time buyers - cohousing will make a valuable contribution to this mix. 

Over the next 20 years, Northstowe will be transformed into a thriving community of around 10,000 new homes and approximately 25,000 people. Appointing TOWN is a great next step in Northstowe’s journey, and Homes England will be working to support the developer in bringing forward proposals for an exciting housing development which champions community at its core.

TOWN is committed to supporting Homes England and its local partners in realising this long-term vision for the new town.