The Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP), is seeking planning permission for the redevelopment of the former council estate, Ekin Road, in Abbey, Cambridge.
The development will replace 108 ageing homes, many of which no longer meet modern standards, with 134 high-quality homes, including five-bedroom council homes, as well as four homes specifically designed for wheelchair users.
The proposal, which will be considered at today’s Cambridge City Council planning committee meeting, sets out CIP’s plans to build 78 new council homes, as well as 56 private sale homes.
If planning committee approve the proposals, the council will be able to draw down more funding from Homes England to deliver the project.
The 78 new council homes are likely to provide housing for around the same number of people as the existing 91 council homes, albeit with fewer homes overall due to prioritising the building of larger council homes to address a shortage.
In August 2026, the council announced it had been successful in its bid for £96.4 million of government funding to support its council house building programme. It also revealed that it had been selected as one of only three local authorities for a Strategic Partnership with Homes England designed to accelerate council home delivery.
The funding will support CIP to build a further 1,400 new council homes by 2036, with 60 per cent of the new council homes being available at the lowest tier of council rents.
The development will target a 20 per cent biodiversity net gain, with bird and bat boxes, more than 90 new trees along the streets, and rain gardens featuring ornamental and meadow species throughout the green links and open spaces.
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Cllr Gerri Bird, Cambridge City Council cabinet member for Housing and CIP board member, said: “Residents may have concerns about the viability assessment that is being considered as part of the planning application, as some people have understood this to mean that we’re rowing back on our commitment to build 78 new council homes.
“We’re not. If Planning Committee approves our planning application and viability assessment, the council will be able to draw down the funding from Homes England – which is ring-fenced for us – to deliver 78 council homes.
“Our progress to date backs this up; through our partnership we have been able to deliver nearly 900 new council homes across 24 sites since 2018, helping to increase the supply of high-quality council housing across the city. We’re now looking ahead to the next 1,400 council homes being built in Cambridge.”
Tom Hill, managing director of The Hill Group, said, “Reaching planning approval at Ekin Road reflects the close collaboration we have through our partnership.
“This development will enable us to replace the existing properties with a new, carefully designed neighbourhood, which will provide more spacious, energy-efficient homes that respond to the needs of existing and future residents.”
Image: Cambridge City Council
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