Who is involved in the delivery of Northstowe?
In order to deliver a sustainable new town, a number of organisations are working in partnership to deliver the right services and facilities at the right time.
Gallagher and the
Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are jointly promoting the Northstowe site. They will submit a revised outline planning application and will provide the necessary infrastructure for the town. Their normal development method is to then sell packages of land to house builders, both commercial and affordable, to builders who will then prepare detailed planning applications in line with an agreed Design Guide for Northstowe.
South Cambridgeshire District Council are the Local Planning Authority are responsible for delivering waste collection and recycling services, open space and community facilities, and community development and engagement services as well as taking the lead responsibility for ensuring the governance of the town.
Cambridgeshire County Council are responsible for delivering Highways, Schools, Libraries, Waste Management, Social Services. The
County Council also have a statutory planning role. Together the members from both
South Cambridgeshire District Council and
Cambridgeshire County Council form a Joint Planning Committee, through whom all planning decisions are made.
Cambridgeshire Partnership Limited (CPL) will be responsible for delivering the first tranch of affordable homes, and
NHS Cambridgeshire will deliver the health care facilities needed.
The Emergency Services are also engaged in the development of Northstowe, to ensure appropriate police, fire and health service provision to the new town.
Cambridgeshire Horizons is responsible for the provision of strategic co-ordination of all infrastructure provision, and project management support to ensure Northstowe is an exemplar of sustainability.
At what stage is the planning process?
The Joint Promoters are currently making revisions to their outline planning application with a view to submitting planning application revisions in 2010. Read more about the decision
process and timeline of development for Northstowe.
Why do we need a new town?
In Cambridgeshire, and indeed across the East of England region, there is an under provision of housing - both affordable housing and market value housing. In addition to this lack of housing, house prices (despite the current economic climate) are still out of reach for a large proportion of the local population. This means that fewer people can afford to live in the area, particularly in and around Cambridge, forcing people to move out of the area and creating longer commuting distances, often by car, which in turn worsens congestion, increases C02 emissions and harms air quality.
The development of Northstowe is part of the Regional Spatial Strategy's wider strategy for development up to 2021. The plan makes provision for the development of 73,300 new homes from 2001 to 2021 within the County. These homes will be located within the built up area of Cambridge, on the edge of Cambridge, in the new town of Northstowe and within (or as an extension of) the Market Towns.
A new town is necessary because there is a limit to the amount of development that can take place in and around Cambridge and existing market towns. A new town concentrates development, reduces the amount of green space used, and prevents urban sprawl.
Northstowe, with its access to improved public transport systems, will contribute to sustainable growth by providing much needed housing, including affordable homes. It will help existing Cambridgeshire residents (and their children) find a quality home that they can afford, near to employment areas, and provide improved facilities accessible to both the new and existing communities.
What will Northstowe be like?
Northstowe is planned and expects to have a range of facilities that will benefit both the new and existing local communities. These facilities will include schools (six proposed primary schools and one secondary), a library, health facilities and community buildings. Northstowe will also have a vibrant town centre that will host a range of retail and leisure facilities. A third of the town will be open space that can be used for sport, leisure and recreation.
The town will be an exemplar of sustainability and is currently in the second wave Eco-Town process. It will showcase a range of measures to reduce the use of energy and water, and to minimise waste, in addition to renewable energy technology, which will create a large-scale, joined up approach to sustainability.
In addition to energy, water and waste saving measures, new technology will be used to provide renewable energy. For example, a community-wide biomass Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) plant would create electricity for the grid, provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, to thousands of homes via a network of underground pipes. Not only does this system have an environmental benefit, it also provides heating from a reliable, stable source, which will help to keep heating bills constant.
Other potential renewable energy solutions could include biomass boilers within schools, community buildings and apartments, large-scale wind turbines, solar water heating for homes not connected to the CCHP, and pumps that draw heat from the ground for some commercial buildings.
How can I get involved?
When the outline planning application revisions are submitted there will be a consultation period when you can make comments on the proposed amendments. Read more about the Northstowe planning process and local events.
You can also give us your views here.