More homes scheduled for Northstowe

Homes England have entered into a partnership with the South Cambridgeshire District Council and the property development company, Urban Splash, to provide 81 affordable rent properties in the town of Northstowe, six miles away from Cambridge.

The affordable homes will form a part of a wider project in the new town, by Urban Slash, which aims to construct 406 new homes using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) including prefabrication, off-site assembly, improved product quality, producing energy efficient properties, and rapid construction, all of which essentially allude to modular building.

Homes England have also assured that 60 of the 81 affordable homes will be designed specifically for residents over the age of 55, therefore tackling the nation’s problem of an ageing population as well as the infamous housing crisis.

Construction of the Urban Splash properties will commence in the spring of 2020 at the company’s offsite factory in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

The Director for Markets, Partners, and Place at Homes England, Paul Kitson stated: “We support the ambition of local authorities to address housing challenges and make sure more homes are built, more quickly, in the areas where they’re needed most.

“South Cambridgeshire District Council has an in-depth understanding of local housing demands – appointing them as our affordable homes provider will ensure Northstowe becomes a community that meets the needs of all its residents.

“The choice of MMC homes for our first neighbourhood at the new town will greatly increase the pace of delivery and offer residents greater energy efficiency.”

The South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Hazel Smith added: “We are really excited to have succeeded in our bid to deliver these much-needed homes, increasing our overall Council House portfolio.

“Importantly, working with Homes England and Urban Splash on what is our first large-scale MMC project enables us to offer residents cutting-edge, designer Council homes that will actively tackle the risk of fuel poverty, making them truly affordable for people to live in.”

The Director of Urban Splash, Nathan Cornish concluded: “It is our ambition to make modular housing more widely available and accessible to a range of occupiers; we are delighted therefore be working with our long term partners Homes England, as well as our new partners at South Cambridgeshire District Council – to make this happen in at Northstowe.”

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