Work on first homes at Northstowe to begin within weeks

Excting times at Northstowe

Construction of the first tranche of new homes on the Northstowe Estate have been given the green light by council planners.

Work on a total of 92 properties will begin in the next few weeks on land near the Longstanton guided busway park and ride site.

Approval was given following a public consultation by South Cambridgeshire District Council in June.

The planning application by Bloor Homes, included the look and feel of the new homes, spacing, layout, trees, landscaping and areas for children to play. The application also covered the layout and location of roads, paths and cycleways.

The first homes will be a mixture of house styles and sizes of up to five bedrooms.

The local centre will be just under 5,000 square metres in size and include grass, paved areas and seating where people can relax.

Crab trees will also be included following a request from the local community as Crabtree Corner is the local name for this part of the B1050 which is nearby.

The local square will be easily accessible from the proposed community building and shops that are planned in the first phase of the town.

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon, SCDC's cabinet member for strategic planning, said:"Things are really gaining pace at Northstowe and we are entering into an incredibly exciting stage. We already have a school building in place but the first homes being given planning permission, and building work being just around the corner, is a huge landmark.

"We want Northstowe to be of the highest quality and a fantastic place to live, work and go to school. In no time at all we will have the first residents at the new town and years of planning will become a reality.

"I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the consultations we have run on the applications for the town. Your input is vitally important."

The public consultation gathered views from local people as well as other expert bodies regarding issues such as highways.