75 new council homes completed at Campkin Road, Cambridge
As part of its commitment to provide high-quality new sustainable council homes, private sale homes, along with community and commercial facilities, Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) has marked the completion of its 12th development with the handover of 75 council homes at Campkin Road.
Ward Councillors visited the completed development, where 32 post-war ageing council homes and garages, no longer fit for purpose, have been replaced with four new council houses, 71 council apartments across four buildings, and a new fully accessible community centre for the local community.
Cllr Gerri Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing for Cambridge City Council and CIP board member, said, “With the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing increases in interest rates, there continues to be an acute need to provide council housing for our local community. It's wonderful to visit Campkin Road and see the quality of the new homes delivered through CIP. “One of our key priorities as a Council is ensuring that there is an increase in the supply of affordable housing for local people to help reduce poverty, as well as replacing poor-quality properties and improving standards. These sustainable new communities that we are creating through our partnership with Hill are doing just this and we are really proud of what has been delivered at Campkin Road.”
Sustainability has been a key focus at Campkin Road. The new homes are all gas-free, and heating and hot water are provided via a communal air-source heat pump system. A combination of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels on the roofs provides sustainable energy to the homes, and fabric improvements and triple-glazed windows help reduce energy and heat loss. The development’s 200mm cavity walls and roof insulation, which improve upon the industry standard, lead to a reduction in the energy demand in the homes.
All homes are fitted with Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), which extracts warm, damp air and provides fresh, filtrated air into buildings while ensuring no energy loss.
Tom Hill, Managing Director at The Hill Group, comments, “As a partnership, we take enormous pride in creating attractive and sustainable new neighbourhoods and providing residents with high-quality new council homes that they can thrive in. “As well as the new homes, we are also delighted to deliver a brand new, fully accessible community centre and communal garden area that will be available for the wider community to enjoy.”
Externally, Campkin Road benefits from sedum green roofs and extensive soft landscaping. Biodiversity has been enhanced with new trees being planted to encourage insects and other wildlife, in addition to many of the existing trees being retained. Bird and bat boxes are also included along the perimeter of the building.
To promote clean travel and reduce air pollution, electric vehicle charging points have been installed, with a total of 10 connections available, along with ample bicycle storage to encourage residents to use sustainable modes of transport.
As part of the development, an area of protected open space to the east of the site has been retained, with other open spaces created within the site, including private gardens for the houses, a communal garden, and the provision of play equipment in the north-western part of the site.
Campkin Road also has open spaces located near the site, including Nun’s Way Park and Arbury Town Park, as well as excellent transport links to the city centre. The development benefits from its proximity to Cambridge’s network of cycle lanes and offers residents ample space for parking.