Half of Northstowe phase two homes will be affordable

South Cambridgeshire District Council agreed that 1,750 properties will be sold or rented at lower than market rates.

Today, Wednesday December 7, it was agreed that half of the properties built in the 3,500-home second phase of the new town of Northstowe will be sold or rented at lower than market rates.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) attended planning committee today to table proposed changes to better-reflect emerging Government policy in Starter Homes.

Overall, the agreement between the council and the HCA will see £73 million invested in community facilities at the new town of Northstowe. Proposals were backed by council members in principle in July 2015 subject to a section 106 being agreed.

Paul Kitson, Head of Northstowe for the HCA, said: “We have been working really hard to get to this point. In particular this year, as well as negotiations with the council, we have been bringing forward all the work we can including the design code, remediation work, the town centre strategy and archaeological work so that we can satisfy our planning conditions and are ready to hit the ground running with our construction programme.”

The HCA’s original proposal for affordable housing would have seen 20 per cent Affordable Homes built during the second phase of the town. The new agreement is for 40 per cent Starter Homes and 10 per cent Affordable Rented Homes.

The government announced the Starter Homes initiative earlier this year which would give first time buyers aged between 23 and 40 at least 20 per cent discount on the market price of a home.

The maximum cost of the property after discount would also not exceed £250,000.

The HCA’s plans will include a mechanism for review so it can respond to the details of the final national policy.

The rest of the developer agreement for the second phase of the town remains unchanged with a £73 million investment in community facilities including; the town centre facilities, two primary schools and over £10 million toward the secondary school being built alongside the first homes.

The combined proposals from phase one, being developed by Gallagher Estates, and phase two by the HCA enable approximately half of Northstowe’s overall projected housing to be built alongside significant elements of the town’s required infrastructure including; the town centre, local road improvements the first local square and primary school, the site for the secondary school, employment land, 2 more primary schools and the Southern Access Road (West) - a crucial new highway link joining the town to the A14.

When complete, Northstowe will have up to 10,000 new homes and an anticipated population of around 24,400 people.

It already benefits from the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway which runs alongside the development, and which will have dedicated links into and through the town, and will offer quality transport links and quick connections to the towns of Cambridge and St Ives, a secondary school operated by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust, and a vibrant town centre, all offering plenty of employment opportunities for local people.