Cambridge Investment Partnership to start building 420+ much-needed new homes in Cambridge
Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP), the equal partnership between Cambridge City Council and award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, has broken ground on two of its four new developments, where a total of 423 new homes will be built across the city.
Of these, 253 will be council homes, 48 of which will be available at social rents (around 40-45% of market rent), 100 will be available at 60% of market rents, and 105 will be available at 80% of market rents – supporting local workers who would struggle to afford to pay full market rents due to Cambridge’s housing affordability crisis.
The remaining 171 homes will be much-needed market sale homes, with any profit from the sale of these homes being reinvested into building more new council homes and community facilities.
The groundbreaking event took place at East Barnwell, in Abbey on Friday 21st March, marking the start of construction of 120 council homes alongside new facilities including a community centre, library, pre-school and commercial units over two phases. The development will replace 18 outdated flats with a total of 48 social rented homes, and 72 homes available at around 80% of market rents. Four of the homes will be designed especially for people with disabilities. These gas-free, energy-efficient properties will include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom maisonettes, prioritising lower carbon emissions, reduced energy bills for tenants, and annual maintenance costs.
Work has also begun at Fanshawe Road in Coleridge, where 84 new homes are being built to replace 30 ageing properties. 45 will be council homes, designed to meet Passivhaus-equivalent performance standards, and 39 will be market sale homes. Of the 45 council homes, 34 will be available at the 60% of market rate, while the remaining 11 will be available at the 80% of market rate.
At both developments, the council has supported residents living in the ageing properties to find suitable new homes. This includes practical support such as helping tenants to find a new council home – often in newly built CIP homes – as well as the council providing compensation and covering moving costs.
Cllr Gerri Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing at Cambridge City Council and CIP board member, said: “This is an exciting time for Cambridge residents as we continue our commitment to providing high quality, affordable homes across the city. Through our innovative Cambridge Investment Partnership, we are building more council homes on average than almost any other council in the country, alongside much-needed market sale homes, helping us to address the local housing crisis. Properties sold privately help fund our ambitious council housing programme and deliver mixed and balanced communities. “Our partnership has already delivered over 1,000 new homes since 2018, across 23 sites, including 732 council homes, with 656 being net new council homes. “As of September 2024, more than 2,900 households were on the Housing Needs Register, highlighting the urgent need for more housing. These new developments will help address this demand while creating vibrant and sustainable communities.”
Tom Hill, Managing Director of The Hill Group, added: “We are proud of what we are accomplishing through CIP, ensuring the delivery of well-designed, energy efficient homes that support the city’s long-term housing strategy. Beyond construction, we are also committed to community wealth-building - supporting local people into work through training, apprenticeships, and social value opportunities that benefit the communities in which we build. “Our delivery of market sales homes plays a crucial role in addressing Cambridge’s housing affordability challenges by increasing supply. Additionally, profits from the sale of these homes are reinvested into future CIP projects, including new council homes and essential community facilities, securing long-term benefits for the city and its residents.”
In the next few months, construction will also begin on two further developments.
At the ATS Murketts site on Histon Road, in Arbury, CIP will deliver 70 new homes, including 28 council homes and 42 for sale. Of the 28 council homes, 21 will be let at around 60% of the market rate and 7 will be let at around 80% of the market rate. The site, formerly home to the Murketts car dealership and an unused workshop area of the ATS commercial unit, will be transformed into a high-quality residential development. The planning process involved extensive community engagement, with design changes made in response to feedback from residents and council officers.
Meanwhile, CIP will also develop the third and final phase of Newbury Farm, located between Babraham Road and Worts’ Causeway in the Queen Edith’s area of the city. This development will deliver 150 homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses. 60 will be council homes – 45 available at 60% and 15 at 80% of market rents – and will include all the apartments and three of the three-bedroom houses.
Outline planning permission for Newbury Farm was granted in 2019 to This Land under the Cambridge Local Plan 2018. This is being delivered in three phases with phase one including main road infrastructure, a central square and junctions onto Babraham Road and Worts Causeway. Phase two includes 50 private sale homes and 30 council homes. Both phases are being delivered by This Land. Phase three is being delivered by Cambridge Investment Partnership.
