Update from Homes England on Northstowe, Phase Two & Phase Three: Summer 2025 

We’ve hit the middle of the year already, but rest assured, lots of progress has been made. Here’s your latest update from Homes England about what’s been done, what’s happening, and what you can look forward to.   

If you live in Phase Two, you’ll have had the full Homes England Newsletter through your door, which you can also view online.

Read on below for a snapshot of what we’ve been doing. 

“I wonder what they’re doing there?” 

“What do you think that’s for?” 

These are the obvious questions to ask when you see new land being cleared or a new excavation; it’s exciting to see the varied work taking place across the different parts of town.  

I wonder which things have caused you to ask similar questions? As you’ll see, there’s a lot to let you know about. 

Growth across your Northstowe 

What are you enjoying about Northstowe? Here’s some great news to talk about: 

Northstowe Learning Community: We were there at the beginning… 

It seems a long time since we accelerated the funding and provided the land for the initial construction of Northstowe’s Learning Community.  

The Learning Community recently welcomed its first primary and sixth form students. We wonder who we’ll celebrate as Northstowe’s first “all-through” graduates, with us all the way from age two to eighteen? 

Commercial Space: Bridging the gap to the new town centre… 

Right where the new town centre will be (Location 1), we’ve submitted plans for a temporary commercial space. The modular units will be serviced, allowing for vendors, pop-up cafés, co-working spaces and other events to take place and serve the town. 

Commercial unit at the Keepmoat Homes: “Watch this (2000 square foot) space”

A new build commercial unit on the Stirling Fields Keepmoat Homes site is nearing completion (Location 2). The building will be handed over to South Cambridgeshire District Council, and the 2000 square foot commercial opportunity is currently being marketed by Carter Jonas. It’s an exciting development and another win for Northstowe. 

Construction milestones 

What are the things you’re looking forward to in Northstowe? Here’s the work being done to get you there. 

Eastern Sports Hub 

Greenfisher Contracting are working hard on your new sports and leisure facilities at the Eastern Sports Hub (Location 3). Work on the new BMX track will commence shortly, the important ground preparation for football and cricket pitches has begun, and plans for the outside gym space have been finalised. 

There’s infrastructure work needed to make all this possible, including drainage around the new lake area (Location 4, Pond Five), but progress is being made. We’ll keep you updated on temporary parking arrangements for access to the pathways around the lakes, along with any short-term re-routing of walkways needed to get this next part ready. It’s exciting! 

Clearing the ground, protecting the environment 

Our partners, CR MacDonald, worked through the winter to finish preparing the site beyond Rampton Drift and the new Keepmoat Homes (Location 5). It’s been successful, and further ground preparation has now begun. 

Lots of you were interested in our work preserving old trees, the long-established residents of Northstowe. Tree specialists have identified trees for relocation and protected them with fencing, ready for their big moves. This work will take place over future growing seasons, meaning our long-established ecology will be knitted into the new surroundings and habitats. 

Momentum is building across Phase Three 

Phase Three plans continue to take shape. We’re all in it for the long term, which means we have to keep looking at the big picture. Anyone working with us will always need a long-term view of how Northstowe works for you as residents, both now and in the future. High on our list is to make sure all contractors share our understanding of sustainable building and long-term community vision.  

We’re in the process of finding the right partner to begin the clearance, drainage and utilities work on Phase 3a (Location 6), which we’ll be able to share more about by September. In addition, the work completed by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) to survey and preserve any historical items of interest was also completed at the Phase 3b site (Location 7). You may be aware that this is the site next to the original Northstowe housing in the north of the town, and it was another key milestone to complete. 

An exciting summer ahead 

Much had already been put in place below ground for the development we’re now seeing. By the time we reach the end of the summer and take a look across Northstowe, we’ll be able to see even more progress. The next part will also need some infrastructure work, including some temporary road works on the main access road from the A14. But don’t worry, this will provide the crucial services for the future town centre.  

It’s all moving in the right direction. 

How to find out more 

The full Homes England, Northstowe Phase Two Spring/Summer 2025 Newsletter is available to view here.  

It’s your community, so do take a look and stay involved – you’ll find contact information and further details on plans, timelines and next steps for Northstowe, including future development plans for Phase Three.