Northstowe Community Forum

Please check our list of common Northstowe questions for a list of queries that have already been asked at recent Northstowe Community Forums. 

Aims

• To provide residents and stakeholders with regular updates regarding strategic development sites
• To provide an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to share their interests/concerns with relevant council officers, including those from the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service (‘Planning’) and Communications and Communities (‘Communities’) teams, Elected Members, developers and other key stakeholders such as Cambridgeshire County Council and Anglian Water

Scope and purpose

• The development covered by this forum is Northstowe
• To provide regular, accurate and timely information to residents regarding the above development
• To offer an opportunity for residents to raise issues of interest or concern for existing and new communities with a view to enhancing the quality of community life and the environment in Northstowe
• For council officers to share issues raised by residents with relevant parties and report back responses and/or that appropriate action has been taken
• To provide information and signposting on planning and growth matters
• To provide an opportunity for developer/s, residents, community groups, elected members and council officers to engage with each other
• From time to time, to provide opportunities for residents to be consulted and involved in the planning, co-design and management of associated facilities and services
• The forum does not have decision-making powers and cannot be held accountable for growth and related issues
• Minor developments may be covered by this forum from time to time, but the developments listed above will take priority

Structure, management and format

• The forum will be chaired by local ward member, Cllr Henry Batchelor
• There will be a maximum of 4 ‘open to all’ formal meetings a year, where appropriate, and other forms of engagement where necessary
• Venues, where appropriate, will be spread around the different catchment area/s for the new development(s) to ensure all residents have an opportunity to attend
• The frequency and format of individual meetings will be determined by senior Planning and Communities officers in consultation with the Chair based on the progress of each specific development and views expressed by stakeholders, including residents 
• Meeting dates will be set, wherever possible, on a rolling basis a year in advance
• A range of methods will be used to deliver the forum - the most appropriate format will be chosen for the meeting in consultation with attendees and in accordance with the circumstances and government guidance available at the time, that is to say in person forums (which will include drop-ins), virtual meetings or a hybrid of these, for virtual meetings Zoom Webinar will be used

Communication and publicity

• A range of measures will be used to communicate to residents about the forums, including local advertising via flyers, web page, existing parish publications, email and social media
• Where possible and practicable, Council officers will upload content within 10 days of a forum being held
• A rolling agenda will be posted online so residents are aware of proposed future topics for discussion
• Questions will be posted online so that attendees can see the issues that have been raised and addressed at past meetings
• Presentations, notes and recordings of the meetings will be published online. 
• A distribution list will be developed and maintained based on registered forum attendees and any others wishing to be kept informed. A registration form will be available on the relevant forum’s web page/s
• Surveys and feedback mechanisms will be employed from time to time to ensure forums are meeting residents’ needs and to facilitate continuous improvement
• Agendas will be published no later than 7 days prior to the meeting

Lead Officer

 Ellen Cox – Development Officer  

Valuing diversity

All delegates attending Forum events must undertake to:

• Treat all people with respect and act in a way which does not discriminate against or exclude anyone
• Act in a fair and responsible way to all

Collective responsibility 

All people coming to Forum events agree by their presence that they will:

• Observe the authority of the Chair or facilitator at all times
• Listen quietly to and respect the views and experiences of other people contributing
• Agree to and follow the standard of behaviour expected at each event, according to what is happening at that event (e.g. no interrupting or shouting)
• Allow others to have equal opportunity and time to share their opinions
• Not use inflammatory language or behaviour of any kind

If the above values are not met during a meeting or event, the Chair, facilitator or nominated officer may take one or more of the following steps with the objective of restoring order.

Any person making offensive, insulting, threatening, provocative, slanderous or obscene remarks, or who becomes boisterous, or who threatens or harasses any person or property while at a Forum event, will cause the event to be suspended for the shortest period needed to allow order to be restored.

Any person or people causing an event to be interrupted by reason of behaviours identified above, who does so more than once, can be asked to leave the event by the Chair or staff at the event. This can be for a specific length of time to allow the person or people to cool off or for the rest of the meeting or event, depending on the judgement of the Chair or staff present.

Where the Chair believes that:

• The event has become unmanageable, unnecessarily interrupted, harassed or hindered more than once by the same person or people
• There has been behaviour which threatens the safety of him or herself or others present, the Chair may opt to suspend the meeting or event until order is restored or to end the meeting, or event, if they feel that it is appropriate
• Any person or persons causing through their behaviour, any other individual or individuals present at a Forum event to fear for their personal safety may be subject to immediate removal from the event and/or the event premises

Northstowe Community Building 

Kirstin Donaldson, Head of Acquisitions, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Presentation [PDF, 2MB]

• Construction site will be adjacent to The Cabin (Temporary Community Centre) and will begin November.
• The existing blue hoarding on Stirling Road will be fixed and the land behind used as a storage compound and contractor parking.
• Construction site plan attached. The building will come up to the edge of the grass and the canopy will be on the paved area. As a result, the site compound will come up to where the trees are currently on the paved area. The trees will be relocated elsewhere in Northstowe (tree survey is taking place) and new trees will be planted once the building is constructed.
• During construction there will be no loss of any provision at The Cabin. The green fencing will need to be moved slightly. The sheds in the back garden will be moved and the cycle parking will be moved to the front of the building.
• We will need an address to install services such as the internet, water and electricity so looking to name the building.
• Residents can provide their suggestions until 11 October either using a postcard in The Cabin or by using the online form. When providing a suggestion, consider what the building will be used for. For example, potentially a wedding reception and what that may look like on an invitation. All suggestions will be shared with Northstowe Delivery Group.
• Now have a new working title, Town Hub, for the building formerly known as the Civic Hub. South Cambs have instructed some detailed feasibility work.

Greenbelt

Gerry McQuade, Billing Manager 

Presentation [PDF, 0.6MB]

• There has been some non-routine works this year including play area repairs, planting and tree works. The total additional approximate cost will be £15.21 for each resident
• Proposed bill for the new year £107 + VAT (increase of £6 per bill). This coming year anticipating to take on new areas including Kingfisher Pond.
• Will be back in Northstowe first week in November when Greenbelt have the actual bills and also the bills for the individual house bills.

Questions received 

Can the plastic sleeves used to protect the saplings which are still wrapped around mature trees be removed?

Each winter this is carried out and there is a plan to remove any not required this winter. We do not manage the trees around the lakes though.

Why were dog bins missed for 2 months?

Unfortunately, a few bins within in the newly adopted areas which were missed. There was an issue with the bins being taken on by our original contractor. A new contractor has now been appointed and Greenbelt apologised for the missed bins.

Homes England

Dean Harris, Senior Planning Manager/Richard Spackman, Development Director

Presentation [PDF, 1MB]

• Greenfisher are on site forming the eastern sports hub pitches down near the education campus. This includes football pitches, a cricket pitch, outdoor gym and BMX track. Works are due to complete Spring 2025 – but the pitches will require at least 18 months to establish before then can be used.
• Cognition are digging the next drainage lake (pond 5) and using that material to raise the land levels of Phase 2C. The internal haul road and future bus only route are being used to transfer material to minimise use of public roads. Work is due to be completed in Spring 2025.
• CR MacDonald are due to start site preparation works in the west of phase 2 (the old barracks area) at the end of September. Existing buildings and important trees are to be retained.
• Rampton greenway has now been reopened following repair and CCTV has been installed on the southern access road to reduce issues of anti-social behaviour.
• Homes England continuing to investigate early opening of the cycleway alongside the future bus link (within Phase 3A) to the guided busway. Discussions ongoing with the County Council.
• Unity Lake and Halcyon Mere are primarily designed for surface water management. Their design maximises the potential of these features to support ecology and public amenity. This may include access to the water itself in the future – once fully established – but this is subject to agreement with Anglia Water and matters such as monitoring water quality.
• Homes England is pleased to introduce new development partners Capital and Centric (who will be working alongside Keepmoat) and TOWN.
• Capital & Centric will be holding an event 10 October at Tap and Social to speak with residents and understand what residents would like to see. 

Questions received 

Are there any timelines on the lakes potentially being taken over? 

No specific timeline for that other than that is the current intention.

When will the retail unit come forward in Phase 2b?

SCDC have acquired the ground floor commercial unit (192 sqm). Cannot provide exact details at the moment but there will be an open process when the building is closer to being ready.

TOWN

Frances Wright, Head of Community Housing

Presentation [PDF, 7.5MB]

• Profit-with purpose developer. Deliver residential-led mixed-use development in the UK.
• Working with Mole architects
• Location Phase 2D.1 (map included within their presentation)
• Parcel has potential to deliver c130 homes, likely in 4 blocks. Looking to deliver 1 or 2 blocks of cohousing.
• Cohousing: An intentional community that blends private homes with shared spaces. Example – Marmalade Lane.
• Northstowe cohousing - Register for next webinar 3 October & brief-setting weekend 19/20 October

Northstowe Faith Land and specific update on Phase 1 Faith Land

Clare Gibbons, Growth Manager, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Presentation [PDF, 0.1MB]

• Phase 1 allocation: 0.25ha adject to Parcel H13 and Bug Hunter Waters
• Phase 2 allocation: An area of serviced land in the town centre capable of providing between 1000-1050 sqm gross internal area (could be land or floorspace within a building)
• Phase 3a allocation: 0.15ha of serviced land within the site, adjacent to the Local Centre or within a secondary mixed-use zone. Also a community garden for remembrance and reflection.
• Phase 3b allocation: 0.1675ha of serviced land within the site, within or adjacent to the secondary mixed-use zone or adjacent to the primary school.
• For Phase 1 allocation a development brief has been finalised and the service corridor approved. Land set to transfer to SCDC c. January 2026. SCDC seeking Cabinet approval in November to activate the faith land allocation process and agree the terms of disposal. If approved, the bidding window will be open for 12 months. For more information, please read the Northstowe Faith Land Allocation Policy Report.
• Any building delivered on the faith/voluntary land should accommodate, in addition to any dedicated worship space, shared space to be made available, with staff to support the provision of a range of community activities open to all. Such shared space must also be made available to other community and faith groups without restriction.

Northstowe Town Council

Cllr Paul Littlemore

Presentation [PDF, 0.1MB]

• Recruited new market manager – Ola Kuzior-Griggs
• Currently recruiting for an Assets and Estates Manager who would consider future assets such as community buildings, open spaces. Applications have now closed.
• Hope on the Go – Mobile food van coming to Northstowe every Friday 10.30 to 11.30 on The Green – providing everyday essentials at a low cost or free.

Community Development Update

Mihaela Stan/Michele Eidevik-Skinner, South Cambridgeshire District Council

• Very successful Midsummer Festival took place in June. Northstowe Arts and Northstowe Hub are already considering plans for next year. Date for your diary 21 June 2025.
• Community Action Day was very well attending with recycling skips and toy swap and Sustainable Northstowe looking to repeat the event next year.
• Excellent Northstowe Running Festival was helped at the end of August and finished with Northstowe Arts hosting an outdoor cinema showing The Greatest Showman.
• Light Up Northstowe will take place 23 November 2023 with a lantern parade finishing at The Green ready for the switch on.
• Longstanton and Northstowe Bowls Club has been successful in receiving Kickstart Funding (through Homes England’s s106 funding) to purchase some junior bowls.
• Homes England’s Community Activation Fund has already funded 3 events – Midsummer Festival, Outdoor Cinema and Ganesh Utsav. If you have an idea would like to discuss do contact Mihaela or Michele northstowe.community@scambs.gov.uk

Q&A sessions

Who is responsible for managing the parking taking place on the cycle lanes?

Once the roads are finished and complete (2025) the cycle lane will be red. County Council will then adopt the roads and South Cambridgeshire District Council will be able to carry out enforcement.

The cycle lanes along Stirling Road are protected by the bollards but they are then not cleaned by the sweepers, can this be addressed?

Homes England will take this away and Interim Principal of Northstowe Learning Community, Claire Mills, will also inform Kier who are still carrying out construction works to the education campus.

What can be done about the buses arriving full at Longstanton Park and Ride resulting in long queues for buses at peak times?

A lengthy discussion took place regarding full buses arriving at Stagecoach. Cllr Firouz Thompson has been working hard with Stagecoach to increase the frequency but there are still full buses arriving in the morning. Residents are encouraged to write to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Stagecoach to show there is strong interest from residents in using the bus service. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority are also currently conducting a bus franchise consultation. Details can be found on the CPCA website.

Update: Since the forum, MP Ian Sollom has written to the Combined Authority to express his concerns and ask for action to be taken.

What update is there on the Secondary College gym and café?

SCDC have been working very closely with Meriden Trust and colleagues at Cambridgeshire County Council. When the first phase of Northstowe Secondary College was built it was built with the dual use community facilities in place. At the moment the café and gym area are shells but we are working to bring forward that facility much earlier. The trigger within the s106 is 2500 occupations but we know the demand is there. SCDC has managed to secure substantial funding from the Combined Authorities Shared Prosperity Fund. SCDC are now working closely the school. Meridian Trust have carried out some very detailed market engagement work over the summer to assist with what model could be brought in.

Will the news of the Government’s plans for acceleration not just mean more housing?

Richard from Capital & Centric keen to incorporate some meanwhile use but want to ensure this is delivered in the right way. It is important to speak to residents to understand what you would like to see and looking to begin these conversations at the engagement event on 10 October.

Will there be a swimming pool?

Within the Phase 2 s106 land on the education campus has been secured for a six-lane swimming. Within Phase 3a and b s106 some funding has been identified but this will not be enough so over the next decade will be looking to bring forward a strategy that will move us towards delivery of that pool, but it will involve identifying substantial additional funding.  

Phase 1 Community Building

Kirstin Donaldson, Service Manager Acquisitions and Development (SCDC) Steven Ponting, Contracts Manager, Kier Construction 

Northstowe Community Centre.pdf [PDF, 5.5MB]

• Achieved planning consent in December 2023.
• During the beginning of 2024 SCDC have been tendering for the contract.
• Kier, who have previously constructed Pathfinder Primary School and Education Campus, have been awarded the contract.
• The building will be situated adjacent to The Cabin on the green and Kier plan to utilise parcel 2 as site compound.
• The building has several sustainable credentials including a green roof, PV panels, ground source heat pump, rainwater harvesting and timber cladding.
• The site will also have 19% biodiversity net gain.
• Timelines – start on site autumn 2024, (designing the services now) build period end of autumn – winter 2025. Anticipated opening Early 2026.
• Question asked: What maintenance will the timber cladding require? The cost to maintain the building, including the cladding will be very low.

Western Park Pavilion

Joe Harper, Elite Sports UK

• Elite Sports manage 6 leisure centres across the country, including Western Park Pavilion.
• The pavilion is being open in 3 stages: 4G, MUGA and Bowls Green Open
• Have applied for alcohol licence – deadline 10 May. If successful Elite Sports will be installing the bar. TVs will also be installed within the club room.
• Grass pitches will be available to hire once the seeding has grown
• Holding an activation 18 May 9am to 3pm to allow the community to join in a range of taster sessions including football, netball, bowls, dance. There will also be a climbing wall.
• Have recently appointed Sports Development Officer, Chloe Smith, who is establishing different sessions. These include Wild Cats (football sessions for girls 5-11) and Squad Girls (football sessions for girls aged 12 to 14). A Just Play session for all children/teenagers will be taking place on a Monday 3:30 to 4:30pm free of charge.
• As these sessions grow Chloe will be able work with the community to establish Northstowe clubs.

Homes England

Homes England Update.pptx [PPTX, 10.5MB]

Catherine O'Toole, Planning and Enabling Manager

• Greenfisher are on site and are forming the sports pitches. Works expected to be completed summer 2025 following by 18-month settlement period.
• The next works which will be taking place is to dig ‘Pond 5’ and raise the land levels of Phase 2C. Expected to start in June 2024 and last 10 months. The crossing between the greenway and Halcyon Mere will be closed during this period.
• Keepmoat are currently on site, 33 houses completed. They have also supported several community events including Northstowe Arts Cinema, Careers Event at Northstowe Secondary College and funding towards the raised beds at The Cabin.
• Will shortly be submitting a planning application to prepare Phase 2 west (the old barracks area). This involves clearance, remediation and earthworks. Exiting building and category A trees are proposed to remain.
• Looking to submit an updated Town Centre strategy in June.
• Chloe Leaper is continuing to work on the two sculptures to recognise the names of the lakes and hope to have an unveiling event in the summer.
• The road naming competition for the southern access road closed yesterday. Will be shortly announcing the winner.
• Have just launched a quality of life survey to help understand how experiences/perception change as the town grows, which residents are encouraged to complete. Feedback on the results will be given at future community forums.
• Please to launch the Northstowe Community Activation Fund with SCDC. The fund has a total value of £120k and will run from 2024 to 2029. 
• Estate team can be contacted on 0845 603 1485.

Phase 1 Faith/Community Land

Phase 1 Faith Land [PPTX, 17.5MB]

Addendum Northstowe Development Brief- Faith Land V2 08 May 2024.pdf [PDF, 1MB]

Northstowe Development Brief- Faith Land V2 13 March 2024.pdf [PDF, 4MB]

Clare Gibbons, Growth Manager and Trovine Monteiro Built Environment Team Leader, SCDC

• A range of faith land will be provided within Northstowe.
• Phase 1 0.25 hectares of land, adjacent to parcel H13 (faith and community land)
• Phase 2 an area of serviced land in the town centre, capable of providing between 1000-1050 sqm gross internal area (could be land or floorspace within a building).
• Phase 3A 0.15 hectares of serviced land within the site, adjacent to the local centre, or within a secondary mixed-use zone; (community garden for remembrance and reflection to be delivered by Homes England in addition).
• Phase 3B 0.1675 hectares of serviced land within the site, within or adjacent to the secondary mixed-use zone or adjacent to the primary school.
• Eligibility criteria:
  • The faith/community group has an association with Northstowe.
  • The organisation has charitable status.
  • The applicant organisation has the financial resources and organisational capacity to deliver.
  • Any building delivered on the faith/voluntary land should accommodate, in addition to any dedicated worship space, shared space to be made available, with staff to support the provision of a range of community activities open to all. Such shared space must also be made available to other community and faith groups without restriction.
• The Communities team have been working with colleagues in the Built Environment team who has created a development brief which can be used as a start point for groups to guide discussions.
• The Built Environment team have researched local faith facilities to understand if there are coherent patterns, but they are all built to their own individual context - different sizes, different faith group, no one size fits all approach.
• The Phase 1 site has good links with the busway, cycle and walking routes and over looks the lake.
• One of the constraints the site currently has is there is a pipe which bisects the land. The pipe is to be moved by L&Q before site transfer.
• 5 Design Principles for the site have been developed:
• Respecting its landscape and setting
• Being a good neighbour
• Promoting active travel
• Building with a distinct identify
• Sustainable design
• The most challenging aspect to address will be provision of car parking spaces. This will depend on actual capacity, catchment, assessment of local need, realistic active travel. See design brief for layouts of possible options.
• Please provide feedback on the proposal by 17 May to clare.gibbons@scambs.gov.uk

Question raised at the forum:

• Will residents living locally be notified?

The community as whole is being notified through this Community Forum, but there will be opportunity as the bidding window approaches to notify those living in Taylor Wimpey’s Parcel H13 and the peninsular development of Phase 2A.

Community Development Updates

Mihaela Stan and Michele Eidevik-Skinner, SCDC

• Community Skips Day 15 June (8:30am to 1pm): Part of the Great Big Green Week which will be celebrated from 8-16 June on The Green. With community skips you can get rid of unwanted metal, wood and electricals for free. This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Swap Together for Good’. There will be a toy swap and a clothes swap stall, a ‘give & take’ stall, bike repair. Northstowe Arts and BPHA Storytelling and workshop to make something new out of recycling materials. Smart Journeys will also be there to provide advice on sustainable travel and their new schemes which we will tell you a little bit about in a minute.
• Midsummer Festival afternoon Saturday 22 June 3pm to 8pm: Preparations for the Midsummer Festival are under way, this will take place on The Green, it’s an event for the whole community. We are supporting Northstowe Arts and Northstowe Hub with preparations, there is participation from many other groups. Picnic, live music, games, dance, food trucks and much more.
• Northstowe Events Channel on WhatsApp: There is a new WhatsApp channel where community groups and organisations can post information on events, these can be viewed by residents. We will soon provide information on how the channel can be accessed.
• Enterprise Car Club Smart Journeys are working in partnership with Enterprise Car Club to provide a discounted e-car hire membership scheme for the Northstowe Community.  Local Northstowe residents will have access to a 1-year’s members at a discounted price of £10 (from £60) plus £10 free driving credit, and 10% off Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The E-vehicle, Nissan LEAF Auto EV, is located at Longstanton Park & Ride, conveniently situated by an EV charging station. Please get in touch if you’d like to sign up and you will be provided with an offer code.
• Car Sharing Scheme, Northstowe – Smart Journeys: Information for this can be found on the Northstowe Lift Share Community Site. You can post as a driver, passenger or both, and use the service to share journeys to school, work, shopping, gym etc. Its ethos is to help save money and reduce carbon emissions.
• Menopause Group The first Menopause group was held in April over coffee and cake. It was very successful with lots of sharing and comparing of information, i.e. symptoms such as ‘brain fog’ and body changes, but mainly there was lots of laughter. We are hoping to have some guest speakers in the future and look forward to having more residents join the group. The event is held at The Cabin on Wednesdays from 6pm – 7:30pm, future dates are: May 22, June 19, July 17. It has been kindly funded by Homes England.
• Wellbeing Walks take place on Friday mornings from The Cabin at 10:15am and last for about an hour followed by a free drink. They are a good way to up your step count, enjoy some fresh air, de-stress and meet other people. Future dates are: May 18, 24, June 7, July 5
• Touch Rugby We have been working with Cambridge Rugby Club and Elite Sports to start some Touch Rugby on the 4G pitch at Western Park Pavilion. This is a non-contact sport for males and females of any age. The sessions are starting on Wednesday 5 June, and will be from 6pm to 7pm. Booking will be through the Elite Sports website or by contacting the Community Development Team. This has been funded by Homes England through the Kickstart Fund. The first 3 sessions are free.
• Raised Beds With funding support from Keepmoat, we have been working with Northstowe Hub and Northstowe Horticultural Society to run 2 sessions on raised bed designs, one with the community and one with the Youth Hive. There will be a planting session on Saturday 18 May, booking for this is through the Northstowe Hub Facebook page or by contacting the Community Development Team, places are limited.

Contact: Northstowe.community@scambs.gov.uk

Community Buildings

Clare Gibbons, Growth Manager and Kirstin Donaldson, Service Manager Acquisitions and Development, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Community Buildings [PPTX, 10.5MB]

Phase 1 Permanent Community Building

• December 2023 – received planning permission for the Permanent Community building.
• Engagement with the town council and community groups really improved the design and planning officers could see the huge ambition.
• The building will have a range of sustainability credentials including ground source heat pumps, solar panels, 19% biodiversity net gain.
• The procurement process has begun.

Western Park Pavilion

• The Pavilion opened on Saturday 20 January with the first match taking place on the 4G.
• Elite Sports UK managing the facility on behalf of SCDC and are already busy taking lots of bookings.
• Recruitment is currently taking place including interviewing for their Sports Development Officer.
• A premises licence has been submitted and an outcome typically takes 30 days.

For more information, please visit the Western Park Sports Pavilion website. 

Nursery School Provision in Northstowe

Alan Fitz, Place Planning, Cambridgeshire County Council and Alison Revell, Education Capital Framework & Programme Manager

Nursery School Provision in Northstowe [PPTX, 0.9MB]

• Construction making good progress.
• There will be roadworks outside the campus to complete the foul water drainage – 3 weeks of traffic management.
• Following a survey there was a strong preference for full day nursery provision.
• Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) use a Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System to find nursery providers. Providers are invited to join this and when new opportunities arise, they can apply.
• During February the CCC will be inviting new providers to join the PDPS. Following this the Northstowe opportunity will be offered and providers will then be assessed.
• Hope to make a decision on a provider during April/May so they can open September 2024.
• Plan to start with one room in autumn 2024 which will be extended to 3 rooms from January 2025.
• From September 2024 one class of Reception will open. In due course there will be 630 places across the school available.
• Expansion will increase the number of pupils in the Secondary College from 600 – 1200. In due course this will increase to 1800.
• In September the sixth form will open. Healthy numbers have applied for the sixth form, and this will give students another option.
• Expanding Martin Bacon Academy to offer 20 post-16 places.
• Much effort being made to recruit childminders and childcare workers.

Questions received at the forum:

• Is the secondary school considering running the International Baccalaureate?   No – It is a hugely expensive course and Impington VC do it very well and are very close to us, so it would not be financially viable.
• Are there any plans to run community education courses?  We do run community education classes, but the take up has been small. If there is a desire for more, please contact the Adult Education Department at Swavesey VC who oversee the offer at present.

Greater Cambridge Shared Planning 

Luke Mills, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service

Greater Cambridge Shared Planning [PPTX, 20.5MB]

• GCSPS is the planning service that serves two local planning authorities – South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.
• There are several stages when a new development is established.
• Plan Making Stage: This has already taken place for Northstowe but during this stage Planning Policy officers carried out a wide various of work and as a result the Northstowe Area Action Plan was produced.
• Decision Taking Stage: All four phases of Northstowe have outline planning permission. Outline permissions sets out some basic parameters such as where different land uses will be located, how tall building can be in a given location and the main walking and cycling routes. Each planning permission is accompanied with a Section 106 agreement, a legal agreement that secures a range of things which must be provided within the development such as schools, community facilities and affordable housing. Each permission also requires the approval of a Design Code, which contains comprehensive requirements that guide the detailed designs presented in Reserved Matters applications.
• Prior to a planning application being submitted, developers typically seek pre-application advice. These discussions are confidential so residents will not automatically be able to give their thoughts. However, the planning service encourages developers to engage with the local community as they prepare their designs, so you contact about surveys/workshops/engagement events do take the opportunity to share your views and local knowledge. The pre-application stage is the best chance to help the developer make improvements before they settle on a final design.
• Compliance – third main function of the Local Planning Authority is to ensure development is carried out in accordance with the relevant permission or approval. If you think a developer might be building something that doesn’t comply please do report it on our Planning Compliance page.

Homes England Update 

Dean Harris, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager (Large Sites – Northstowe)

Homes England Update [PPTX, 7.5MB]

• Homes England is the Government’s Housing and Regeneration Agency. At Northstowe, acting as the public sector master developer responsible for Phases 2 and 3.
• Phase 2 – 3500 homes, education campus and infrastructure for the future town centre and related amenities
• Phase 3 – 5000 homes, 3 Primary schools and related amenities
• Have appointed Greenfishers to raise levels for the Eastern Sports Hub. There will some impact on access around Halcyon Mere. The main restriction will be the path between Halcyon Mere and the southern greenway will be closed for approximately 9 months.
• Landscaping improvements will be taking place, particularly around the lakes with new and replacement planting.
• Now have a helpdesk number monitored 24/7 if any issues with the estated 0845 603 1485.
• Application to be submitted shortly to prepare the west of Phase 2 (the old barracks area). This will involve clearance, remediation and earthworks. Some trees will need to be removed. Category A trees will remain though.
• Seeking a development partner for the remainder of Phase 2A (Inholm) and also a partner for 2C2 (130 homes).
• Looking to establish an area within the future town centre for temporary or ‘pop up’ uses and events.

Questions received at the forum:

• Will the trees which need to be replaced as part of the Phase 2 west works be able to be planted elsewhere and when will the works take place? Homes England are exploring what may be possible. They are yet to submit a planning application so the works will likely take place in the autumn.
• CCC are working with National Highways and they are replacing any failed trees with non-plastic tree stump which is bio-degradable. Can Homes England do something similar? Homes England very happy to look into this.
• When will the commercial unit come forward? Keepmoat is delivering 60 affordable homes and SCDC has purchased these as a housing provider. Some of the flats sit above commercial unit. To ensure it works for the tenants the council has also purchased the commercial unit. Date likely to be Spring/Summer 2025.
• How long will it be until a partner for Phase 2A is secured? Homes England have started the process, officially out to tender and have received expressions of interest.
• Are the red/white barriers near the school a temporary measure to try and protect children cycling safely? Yes they are, internal discussions being had regarding how and when they will be replaced.

Health Provision for Northstowe 

David Parke, Assistant Director Sustainability & Infrastructure (South) and Joanne Fallon, Primary Care Enabling and Contracts Manager

Health provision for Northstowe [PPTX, 0.4MB]

• Northstowe is part of the Northern PCN. There are 7 surgeries residents living in Northstowe can register with.
• Nearest is Longstanton Branch Surgery and Willingham Medical Practice. The practice has capacity to take up to 8000 patients. In order to do this their workforce will need to increase considerably. The Integrated Care Board will support them to do this.
• Currently midwifery and health visitor services run from The Cabin using the NHS room.
• Civic Hub – keen to have a centre where residents have access from clinicians but also services that understand the wider determinants of health – citizens advice, housing. Expected to be delivered 2028. Working with contracting and enabling team to commission GP and health contractors from Civic hub.

Northstowe Town Council

Cllr. Paul Littlemore, Town Mayor, Cllr. Shola Delip and Cllr. Carla Bros Sabria, Northstowe Town Council

Town Council Update [PPTX, 2MB]

• Park Play: On pause but look out for updates in the spring.
• Community Lounge: Mahjong, chess and table tennis very popular. Celebrating Chinese New Year Thursday 8 February. If you’d like to volunteer do get in touch.
• Markets: Continues on Sundays 10am-2pm. Weekly a small number of food and basic stalls, once a month there is greater variety of food and non-food and craft stalls. Also at the market – community café, community pantry, bike repairs (2^nd Sunday of month). Currently recruiting for a market manager.

Community Update 

Mihaela Stan & Michele Eidevik-Skinner South Cambridgeshire District Council

• The Winter Festival has had a large variety of events and activities with involvement from many community groups. It takes place from November until February. As part of the festival, The CDOs have organised a Christmas Quiz at the Community Lounge in December which was great fun. The festival continues, please check the Winter Festival page which can be accessed via the Northstowe Community website for all the events that are scheduled to take place until the end of next month.
• We look forward to celebrating/attending the Mother Language Day organised by Northstowe Hub on Saturday 24 February where you will have the chance to learn some phrases in another language.
• The Community Cinema will also take place on 24 February and is organised by Northstowe Arts. There will be a screening of Barbie.
• Lunar New Year will be celebrated by Emmanuel Church on 10 February, this will be the start of the Year of the Dragon.
• First Toy Swap was organised by Sustainable Northstowe in December. The event was very successful, and the group are planning to repeat it this year, as requested by residents.
• We are hoping to start a menopause café at the Cabin. At the moment, we are in the initial stages of discussing how and when it could be run, and how it will be funded. If anyone is interested or knows someone who may be interested in being part of the group or attending once it’s up and running do email community@scambs.gov.uk
• Wellbeing walks have been happening twice a month usually on a Friday morning, but also the occasional Saturday around Northstowe. They start at The Cabin at 10:15am and everyone is welcome. They are followed by a free hot drink. The times are advertised on Facebook and on the noticeboard in the café area and on the Green.
• A community workshop for Halcyon Mere signage is being held on 23 March. There will be two sessions to choose from in the morning and afternoon for anyone to sign up to - completely free of charge. All ages welcome, although the content will probably appeal most to children over the age of about 8 and adults. Booking will be via the what’s on page on the Northstowe Arts website - places are limited, the previous workshops were fully booked.
• Volunteering opportunities: All groups in Northstowe are looking for volunteers, as we are still in January, this would be an ideal time to make a New Years resolution to give a little bit of your time to help. Please email community@scambs.gov.uk if you would like to discuss this further.

Question & answer session

Will the forum be able to be delivered online?

Working to be able to deliver live stream forums across all our forums.

When will the roads be adopted?

Roads, cycle ways and footways should all be complete by the end of 2024. The adoption of roads will then be end of 2025, following a 12-month maintenance period.

Northstowe Community Buildings - Clare Gibbons, Growth Manager Communities, Kirstin Donaldson,  Service Manager, Acquisitions and Development, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC)

• Temporary Community Centre is thriving and we have many regular bookings taking place throughout the day and evening. Do check the calendar to see what activities are operating from the facility.
• Elite Sports UK is our selected operator to run the pavilion and pitches.
• Phase 1 Sports Pavilion and Pitches Management Board is operational.
• The sports pitches are being transferred from L&Q to SCDC.
• Leasehold of sports pitches to be transferred from SCDC to Elite Sports UK.
• SCDC to offer a licence to Longstanton Bowls Club to manage the bowls green. 

Northstowe Community Buildings - presentation [PDF, 0.6MB]

Heritage Annex - Quinton Carroll, Head of Service: Natural & Historic Environment, Cambridgeshire County Council 

• In March construction of the Heritage Annex was halted after the main contractor was placed into administration. 
• After carefully reviewing the situation Cambridgeshire County Council has decided to deliver the project in a different way by finding alternative venues to deliver an exhibition and will be considering different accessible venues in parts of the county linked to the areas where the artefacts may have originated.

Homes England Update - Dean Harris, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager (Large Sites – Northstowe)

Homes England Update - presentation [PDF, 2.5MB]

• New access road and water park are open
• A road naming competition is planned for the new access road. 
• Pedestrian cycle link between new road and guided busway opening soon. 
• No longer able to go into contract with preferred development partner for Central One, due to economic factors. 
• Looking to progress market hall, civic hub (with SCDC) and investigating meanwhile uses e.g. convenience store.
• Keepmoat on site (2B) and first occupations expected this month. Sales launch next month.
• Seeking a partner to deliver 190 homes on 2A1 (balance of Phase 2A, previously Urban Splash).

Northstowe Secondary College — Update on Primary School and Post 16
Carol Moss, Headteacher

Northstowe Secondary College - presentation [PDF, 17MB]

• Construction for sixth form has begun, plan to open September 2024.
• A range of A levels and BTEC/applied courses will be offered.
• A Primary School and Pre-school is also being built on the campus which is planned to open September 2024. 
• The current Secondary college is also being extended with an additional teaching block being built.

Town Council Update - Cllr. Paul Littlemore

Town Council Update - visuals [PDF, 0.5MB]

• Sunday Market taking place every week 10am-2pm on The Green and once a month the indoor market.
• ParkPlay every Saturday morning, 9.30am at Western Park.

Northstowe Temporary Community Centre and Phase 1 Sports Pavilion - Clare Gibbons, Growth Manager Communities, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC)

Northstowe Temporary Community Centre and Phase 1 Sports Pavilion - presentation [PDF, 0.1MB]

Northstowe Temporary Community Centre

• SCDC intend to run this facility with the community. A Management Board will be established which will include representation from South Cambridgeshire District Council, Northstowe Town Council, Northstowe Hub and to which Cambridgeshire County Council has been invited.
• Since the forum the facility is now open, and we are taking booking enquiries. For more information about the rooms available to hire please visit our Temporary Community Centre page.

Phase 1 Sports Pavilion

• Construction work is progressing well. The operation of the building is complex. The Invitation to Tender is currently live on our portal and we hope to appoint a provider with a view to mobilise the contract from September.
• Northstowe Town Council will still be engaged through the management board which will be created to provide oversight of the operator, alongside Northstowe Sports and Wellbeing Group, Longstanton Bowls Club and the district council, so ensuring that this facility is also run with community input.

Northstowe Permanent Community Building - Aga Podgajna, AR Urbanism, Adam West, CZWG Architects, Director

Northstowe Permanent Community Building - presentation [PDF, 2.5MB]

• AR Urbanism in conjunction with SCDC has been holding community consultations and plans have been evolving in response. AR Urbanism encouraged the community to give any further thoughts on the plans as soon as possible.
• The sustainability of the building will be very important, timber will be used and there will also be PV panels, green roof, ground source heat pump and water harvesting to ensure the building has a low carbon footprint.
• The building will also improve biodiversity – bat boxes/bird boxes possibly
• Aiming to submit a planning application this summer.

Homes England Update - Emma Brown, Planning and Enabling Manager, Philip Harker, Assistant Director Technical Services, Julian Chafer, Assistant Director Estate Management and H&S, Homes England. Katja Stille, Director, Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design

Homes England Update - presentation [PDF, 2MB]

• Southern Access Road West: Homes England are finalising the necessary paperwork and once this is complete a date will be able to be announced.
• A question was asked regarding access to the busway for cycling/walking. Homes England confirmed when the road is open these cycling/walking routes will also open.
• Lake: The landscaping around the lake needs to be established enough before the lake can be open. Unfortunately, due to the lack of rain this has impacted this and certain areas need further work.
• A question was asked regarding water activity. There will be a period of monitoring the water quality and during this time there will be no water activities able to take place. Once the water quality has been assessed water activities will then be considered.
• Eastern Sports Hub: Given sports pitches require 18 months to be embedded an early reserved matters application is going to be submitted. Homes England with their consultants Tibbalds would also like to programme some engagement activities with young people regarding the Future BMX track which will form part of the Eastern Sports Hub.

Health Services for Northstowe - David Parke, Assistant Director Infrastructure and Sustainability (South), Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS)

Health Services for Northstowe - presentation [PDF, 0.1MB]

• Residents are to continue to register with Willingham and Longstanton Medical Practice. Currently 2750 patients from Northstowe are registered.
• There is the capacity to take a further 5,550 patients – workforce and operational hours to increase as necessary (total of over 8000 patients).
• An NHS room will be provided within the Temporary Community Centre and discussion are being had to deliver mental health support, health visiting and midwifery services.
• David Parke reminded residents of the Enhanced Access service (44 hrs per week across the Cambridge Northern Villages PCN). If residents are struggling to get an appointment do enquire about this service.
• In the future there are plans to deliver a total of 1740 sqm for a Civic Hub which will be delivered in Phase 2 (1300sqm General Medical Services, 200sqm Community Trusts, 120sqm Pharmacy, 120sqm Dentistry).
• A question was asked regarding the availability of NHS dentistry. David Parke recognised the issue. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System has only taken on dentistry since April. Dentists are moving away from NHS services as the subsidy the government provides does not cover the cost of the treatment. Need to incentivise them to take on NHS contracts.

L&Q Estates, Phase 1 - Stephan Sage, Project Director L&Q Estates

L&Q Estates, Phase 1 - presentation [PDF, 2.5MB]

• H12 due to be complete June 2024
• H13 due to be complete end of 2024
• Southern Greenway under construction. Hope to be able to open this once the seeded area is complete (August/September). 
• LEAP 3 currently closed whilst the grass is established – hope this will be late autumn. LEAP 4 ahead of schedule.
• L&Q also read out a statement from Vistry regarding H5

  ‘In respect of our final phase (H5), I can confirm that we have placed a momentary pause, while we undertake a full review. In light of the current market conditions and economic uncertainty, it would be reckless if we were to carry on and build something that the buying public don’t wish to purchase. However, we are still fully committed to completing this phase of the development as soon as practically possible’.

Prior to the forum a question was received if house builders keep SCDC updated on their operations and plans. 

The frequency of updates will vary depending on the housebuilder. However, the local planning authority will contact each housebuilder as part of its annual monitoring programme, which is reported in the following suite of documents:

• Authority Monitoring Report – Monitoring is essential in order to establish what has been happening in Greater Cambridge: what is happening now, what may happen in the future - and what needs to be done to achieve policies and targets.
• Housing trajectory – A housing trajectory is used by Councils to calculate their 5 year housing land supply and also to demonstrate that anticipated housing delivery will meet or exceed their housing requirement.
• Housing Delivery Test – The Housing Delivery Test (HDT) is an annual assessment of actual housing delivery over the previous three years, measured against the housing requirement for the district for that same time period.

Stagecoach - Charlton Thornhill, Head of Commercial, David Bowden, Business Development Director, Stagecoach

Stagecoach - presentation [PDF, 1MB]

• The busway is at 93% of pre covid usage, which is above the average of the rest of the services. Other services are at 80%.
• Services are still facing major disruption due to the vast amount of roadworks in the City.
• £2 fare cap has been extended to 31^st
• Now have 30 electric buses. However, at the moment they are not for the busway as the mileage is needs to increase first however technology is advancing.

Northstowe Town Council - Cllr. Paul Littlemore, Mayor, Cllr. Carla Bros Sabria, Deputy Mayor

• Cllr Paul Littlemore and Cllr Carla Bros Sabria introduced themselves as Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
• Northstowe Town Council hope to bring Park Play to Northstowe next month, just finalising the licence agreement.

Northstowe Community Development Officers - Mihaela Stan, Michele Eidevik-Skinner, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Northstowe Community Development Officers - presentation [PDF, 0.2MB]

• Have enjoyed being involved with a range of community groups supporting activities taking place including The Great Big Green Week Community Action Day.
• Looking forward to the Temporary Community Centre opening and seeing new and familiar faces.
• Do get in touch if you would like support setting up a new group/session community@scambs.gov.uk

Questions received prior to the forum

If no one can be found to build the commercial/office area next to the green should there be a time limit set before the master plan is changed?

SCDC have undertaken considerable market testing and have every reason to believe that there is significant commercial interest in the Local Centre and Enterprise Zone. Work is ongoing to establish the best delivery route for the wider site.

There is already space allocated to many of the uses outlined in the question in Northstowe and the original designs included facilities that a new town would need. The intention is that they will come in stages and also that the offer could be complementary - it is important not to create too much of the same provision otherwise businesses and the private market would not be interested as it would impact on their viability.