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Large housing association to deliver over 300 homes on MoD development
Longhurst Group has been selected as the delivery partner of over 300 affordable homes at a large development on a former airfield and military barracks site near Cambridge.
The 23,000-home housing association has been selected to deliver the affordable housing by Urban&Civic and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which is part of the Ministry Defence.
Roughly 6,500 homes are set to be developed overall on the site, which is on the edge of the village of Waterbeach near Cambridge city centre.
A hotel, new primary and secondary schools, employment and retail facilities are also set to be built on the site, which was granted outline planning consent in September 2019.
Urban&Civic is now preparing to start work on phase one of the scheme, which will deliver 1,600 homes.
The first phase of the development will deliver over 400 homes from the four different housing tenures available, which include affordable rent, shared ownership, rent to buy, and discounted market sale.
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The first handovers are scheduled for summer 2022, with the remaining phases of the development to be completed over a six to seven-year period.
Marcus Keys, executive director of growth and development at Longhurst, said: “To be selected as the delivery partner of the affordable homes on a development of this prominence is a significant achievement for the group and a resounding endorsement of our standing as one of the leading providers of affordable housing in the Midlands and East of England.
“We’re committed to providing the homes people want, where they’re needed most, and this is a shining example of how we collaborate with expert partners to realise that vision.
“We’re delighted to be already working with Urban&Civic and now taking forward delivery with the first house builder, Stonebond Properties, to ensure that we’re ready from day one, providing a range of affordable housing options that meets the needs of families across Waterbeach and the surrounding area.
“This is truly a landmark project and we’re proud to be playing our part in bringing it to fruition.”
Caroline Foster, senior development manager at Urban&Civic, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Longhurst Group on what is a key part of the vision for Waterbeach, providing much-needed homes for local people and to support good growth in the local area.
“Longhurst Group has a good track record of delivery locally, with a number of homes under their management within the village of Waterbeach, and of the new tenures coming forward, but we also have shared values around investing in the community coming forward and providing opportunities and support to families when they need it. They will be a great partner to work with.
“Working with South Cambridgeshire District Council, Waterbeach can play a big part in supporting the delivery of affordable homes and, crucially, doing this in a way that reflects wider commitments to ensure those homes are healthy homes [that are] close to transport links, low-carbon homes with low household costs, and offering a range of tenures which give people real choice about the options that work best for them.”
Update: at 10.35am, 11.03.21 The original version of this story said the Longhurst was delivering 328 homes. It has now been updated to say over 300. The following line has also been added: "The first phase of the development will deliver over 400 homes from the four different housing tenures available, which include affordable rent, shared ownership, rent to buy, and discounted market sale."
