1,500-home plan for first phase of Northstowe approved

The first phase of the town development, which will be located 10km north west of Cambridge and will neighbour Longstanton, will comprise up to 1,500 new homes, including affordable housing; a primary school; a local community and retail centre and five hectares (ha) of employment land, including a recycling centre and pumping station.

The scheme will also have a 6ha sports hub and 23ha of addition public open space, to include parks, play space and a network of footpaths and cycle ways. There will be over 5ha of water bodies, including a water park and 1.57ha of allotment and community orchard space.

The NJDCC, which comprises councillors from Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, approved the masterplan for the new town in July this year. The masterplan includes up to 10,000 new homes, new schools, employment areas and a town centre. The development would be brought forward jointly by developer Gallagher Estates and the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA).

Gallagher and the HCA first submitted plans for the full site in 2007. However, the plans were put on hold during the recession and consultations on a new masterplan begun in October 2011. A planning application for phase one of the development was submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council in February this year.

"The decision today is a huge landmark for Northstowe as the town has been talked about for more than 10 years, said the Council's cabinet member for Northstowe Tim Wotherspoon according to reports. "We are now at the stage of turning a vision into a reality and will begin to look at the fine detail to make sure the town is of the highest quality possible."

Gallagher said it expects to start work on the site next year.