A £61m investment has been agreed today (May 28) by Homes England for the development of a neighbourhood with 6,500 new homes.
Developers Urban&Civic will deliver the 716-acre community at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, with the first £15m of contracts being awarded to local contractors in the next six months.
Today’s investment will help to strengthen and support the housebuilding sector as it recovers from recent restrictions and interruptions following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Infrastructure to be delivered from today’s fund will go beyond the construction of houses, with a roundabout, road drainage and utility works planned to make way for community facilities, as well as five schools and commercial, retail, leisure and community facilities on the site.
Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said:
“Building the homes we need is central to the mission of this Government, which is why we have safely reopened the housing market.
“This £61 million investment from Homes England, the Government’s housing accelerator, will deliver the building blocks of a community that people will be proud to call home, including a new primary school, health centre and community centre.”
The land, a former WW2 RAF Bomber Command, is six miles north of Cambridge and is owned by the MOD.
The message from Homes England, following a recent announcement of £180m worth of land acquisition, is that the agency is open for business.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the site will be surrounded by woodland and has a ‘stunning’ lakeside setting.
