Cambridge Investment Partnership has achieved a construction milestone at its City Reach development on Fanshawe Road in Cambridge, bringing 45 new council homes and 39 private sale homes a step closer.
Councillors, representatives from Cambridge Investment Partnership and the wider project team gathered on site to lay a ceremonial brick, celebrating the significant progress being made at the development in Coleridge.
Once complete, City Reach will provide 84 low carbon homes in total, with the 45 new council homes replacing 30 ageing former council homes.
Every council home on the development will be delivered to Cambridge City Council’s Cam Standard, with lower carbon emissions, reduced household energy bills, and more comfortable homes to live in. The gas-free development will include communal air source heat pumps, solar panels, high-performance insulation and Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems to improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
The development will also deliver:
- a 35 per cent net biodiversity gain – with 27 new trees planted alongside wildflowers, bat boxes and bird boxes, and green roofs across the apartment buildings to help manage rainwater
- secure cycle parking
- EV charging points
- landscaped public open space
- a children’s play area and family-friendly amenities
- a new green corridor connecting Fanshawe Road to Coleridge Recreation Ground
- enhanced pedestrian and cycle routes
The development will offer a range of homes to meet local housing needs, including four fully accessible homes designed for people with disabilities.
Of the 45 council homes, 34 will be offered at a mid-level ‘affordable rent’, set at 60 per cent of the market rents.
The remaining 11 council homes will be offered at a higher-level ‘affordable rent’, set at 80% of the market rate, for people who would struggle to afford to rent or buy in Cambridge but wouldn’t qualify for council housing at the lower levels of rent.
The market sale homes also play an important role as income generated from their sale will be reinvested to enable Cambridge Investment Partnership to build more new council homes and essential community facilities.
City Reach will consist of 76 homes spread across four apartment buildings, complemented by eight houses situated on the site’s eastern and western boundaries.
City Reach forms part of CIP’s wider programme to deliver high-quality, sustainable homes and community infrastructure across Cambridge. Since its launch in 2017, the partnership has delivered more than 1,150 new homes, including building more than 850 new council homes, across 24 sites in Cambridge, with an ambition to build another 1,000 new council homes and 1,000 new sale homes by 2030.
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Cllr Gerri Bird, Cambridge City Council cabinet member for housing and Cambridge Investment Partnership board member, said: “In addition to replacing the 30 former council homes with 34 new mid-level rent council homes, we’re also providing a further 11 homes to specifically support people who wouldn’t be eligible for a traditional council home but nonetheless find private housing in Cambridge out of reach.
“With 53 per cent of the new homes being council homes, the City Reach development supports our ambition to ensure at least 50% of the homes we build across Cambridge are council homes. “But we’re not replacing homes like for like – the new homes will be higher-quality, comfortable, energy-efficient and more affordable to run, with attractive public spaces – creating a neighbourhood that will benefit residents for generations.”
Tom Hill, Managing Director of The Hill Group, said: “Reaching this milestone is a fantastic achievement and reflects the strong progress being made on site.
“Through our partnership, we’re creating homes that combine design excellence, environmental performance and long-term value for the city. It’s rewarding to see this new community taking shape and moving closer to welcoming its first residents.”
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