South Cambridgeshire District Council has today issued formal planning permission to the Waterbeach Development Company (WDC) for 4,500 homes to be built at Waterbeach New Town East.
The main deliverables of the New Town East, are:
– 4,500 new homes
– 30 per cent affordable housing provision
– A masterplan based around the concept of ‘Sociable Streets’, designed to create neighbourhoods that place cyclists and pedestrians ahead of the car
– Over 35 hectares of open space, including a 20-acre country park
– Contributions of over £100m for local infrastructure
– One secondary school, two primary schools and a sixth-form centre
– 24,800 sqm of employment space
Waterbeach New Town East forms part of the 560-hectare site identified by South Cambridgeshire District Council in the Local Plan of 2018 as suitable for up to 11,000 new homes. Urban and Civic secured planning consent in 2019 for 6,500 homes on the western portion of the site, located at the former RAF Waterbeach base.
Alongside approval for 4,500 new homes, the WDC received consent from South Cambridgeshire District Council in 2018 for the relocation of the existing Waterbeach Station to a location one mile north, in the New Town East site.
The planning permission now allows WDC, a joint venture between Turnstone Estates, Royal London Asset Management and Aquila Investments Limited, to move into delivery phases. This will firstly comprise key infrastructure including the relocated railway station, critical to realising the original vision of creating an attractive, flexible and sustainable public transport network.
Funding for the relocation of the station has been secured via a repayable grant from Homes England and a contribution from the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP). The GCP will be responsible for delivery of the Station, which will open in 2027, ensuring the first residents that move into Waterbeach New Town East will have a sustainable travel option from day one.
Tim Deacon, Managing Director of Turnstone Estates, one of the partners of the Waterbeach Development Company, said:
“We are delighted to have received the formal planning permission from South Cambridgeshire District Council, enabling us to start the delivery of 4,500 new homes at Waterbeach New Town East.
“With funding for the relocation of the train station agreed and its delivery scheduled for 2027, we can ensure that sustainable infrastructure is in place for the residents of the Eastern side of Waterbeach New Town from day one. This will also enable the acceleration of housing delivery across the entire New Town, ensuring the homes that are needed to support the growth of Greater Cambridge can be delivered.”