Planning permission has been granted by South Cambridgeshire District Council for a new neighbourhood at Northstowe which will bring two cohousing communities together within a mixed-tenure development.
The project is the first major development from a joint venture between TOWN and The Hill Group, working in partnership with Homes England as master developer for phases two and three of the new town. The partnership was established to scale the delivery of cohousing and other community-focused neighbourhoods across the south of England.
Designed by Mole Architects, the development will deliver 145 homes across four compact urban buildings adjacent to the emerging town centre. 40% of homes will be affordable, comprising Affordable Rent and Discount Market Sale.
Jonny Anstead, director at TOWN, said: “Projects like this are still very rare in the UK. Opportunities to deliver cohousing at scale don’t come along often. What makes Northstowe particularly unusual is that we’re creating two cohousing communities side by side within a single neighbourhood.
The development includes a national first: two cohousing communities delivered side-by-side as part of a strategic new town expansion. The neighbourhood will accommodate Suvana Cohousing, a community grounded in Buddhist principles, alongside Northstowe Cohousing, a multi-generational group modelled on Marmalade Lane.
Tom Hill, managing director at The Hill Group, said: “We’re pleased to reach this exciting milestone with planning granted for this unique development. Partnership working has been central to bringing these two cohousing communities to life, and we look forward to starting on site and delivering high-quality homes that foster community, sustainability and intergenerational living.”
Future residents have played a direct role in shaping the proposals through an extended codesign process, influencing home layouts, shared facilities and landscape design. The housing mix includes terrace houses, maisonettes and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms.
Matthew Brown, head of large sites at Homes England, said: “Diversifying the housing offer at Northstowe is essential to accelerating delivery and creating a resilient new town. This scheme demonstrates how cohousing, affordable housing and high-quality design can be brought together within a commercially viable development.”
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026.
Image: TOWN
© Eastern Echo (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
This article and its contents are the intellectual property of UK Property Forums and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used in any form without prior written permission. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not constitute legal or professional advice.
