South Cambridgeshire District council (SCDC) has received an outline application for the first new town in the county since medieval times. English Partnerships and Gallagher Estates have applied for planning permission for the development of a brownfield site which formally belonged to the MOD and was home to a World War II airfield.
The site, which lies to the east of Longstanton and the north of Oakington, is around five miles from the centre of Cambridge. Works could commence as early as the end of 2008 if planning goes according to plan. English Partnerships acquired the site in 2006 and the new town will be known as Northstowe.
Four applications were submitted to SCDC late last year. An outline plan for the new town and three applications for the highway link to Northstowe and for highway improvements to the A14 corridor. The plans include the construction of 9,500 dwellings providing homes for around 24,000 people, a complete new town centre, local centres to serve neighbourhoods, a secondary school and six primary schools, health centres, library and cultural facilities, 140 hectares of open space, two main employment areas of around 140,000 square metres, three sports hubs and over 20 children’s play areas. The project has been designed as a forerunner to the Government’s programme for the construction of ten new eco-towns around the country which was announced at the Labour Conference in Bournemouth last September. The plans is to create small new towns of between 5,000 and 20,000 homes which are intended to achieve zero carbon development and a more sustainable living using the best new design and architecture.
In a recent commons announcement the Housing Minister said that details of the ten sites would soon be published. English Partnership’s regional director, John Lewis said: “The plans represent high standards in every area, including design, public transport, cycling, employment, water and flood management, energy efficiency and extensive green open spaces.” He also added “These applications will set the standard for best practice in design, viability and sustainability.”
