Cambridge – Waterbeach New Town

A major 1,200 acre site for a linked sustainable urban extension to Cambridge for about 11,000 homes. The ownership of the site is split between the Ministry of Defence and a local landowners Trust. The local landowners element of the project is led by Turnstone in a joint venture comprising Turnstone Estates, Aquila Investments & Royal London Asset Management, known as Waterbeach Development Company.

The site has an allocation in South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Local Plan adopted in 2018. In September 2018 full planning permission was obtained for a relocated railway station. In December 2024, WDC obtained outline planning permission for:

• 4,500 new homes, providing a wide variety ranging from one bed apartments to five-bed homes, ensuring homes for all requirements;
• 30% affordable housing provision;
• A masterplan based around the concept of ‘Sociable Streets’, designed to create neighbourhoods for cyclists and pedestrians over the car;
• Contributions of over £100m for local infrastructure;
• One secondary school, two primary schools and a sixth-form centre;
• Over 35 hectares of open space, including a 20-acre country park; and
• 24,800 sqm of employment space.

Waterbeach New Town East will be developed alongside the former Waterbeach Barracks, which is being delivered by Urban & Civic, which combined will see the delivery of 11,000 homes. This meets the requirements of the Local Plan in South Cambridgeshire, which identified land to the north of the existing Waterbeach Village as suitable for a new settlement.

The planning permission now allows WDC 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 funding from the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP). The GCP have approved the funding and 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.