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. 

Northstowe Temporary Community Centre - Tom Smith, Area Hire Manager, Portakabin

Northstowe Temporary Community Centre - Presentation [PPTX, 30MB]

Temporary Community Building - Portakabin Update: Works so far

• Due to COVID-19, Tom Smith, Area Hire Manager, was not able to attend the Community Forum. Head of Housing Peter Campbell shared the slides and Tom Smith has since provided some additional notes.
• Portakabin specialise in Modern Methods of Construction which includes off-site construction. The majority of the temporary facility will be constructed and fitted out off-site in Portakabin’s local works depot. This will then be delivered to site in ‘slices’.
• The total floor area of the building will be 352m². There will be two assembly rooms which can be hired as well as some meeting space. The facility will also have a café and kitchenette area.
• The building is to be wrapped in a vinyl covering which will include some community artwork following a workshop which Northstowe Arts organised.
• Portakabin have already begun on site with some site fencing, welfare and trackway being delivered to the location. The groundworks teams will begin work setting out the building position and preparing the ground for the foundations.
• At present the plan is to have the area ready for the installation of the first modules from 27 April.

Question asked after the presentation:

What will the capacity of the assembly rooms be?

• The capacity of assembly room one and two together is 113 individuals seated.

Stagecoach - David Boden, Business Development Director

• Stagecoach have increased capacity during the morning peak. There will now be 144 more seats available during the morning commute. From April Stagecoach will be moving two of the buses from the C service into the A and B service.

Questions asked after the presentation:

The buses have been reduced to £2 a journey, is this continuing?

• The government has confirmed they will continue this until the end of July 2023.

Can Hills Road be informed of the bus changes so they can communicate this to their pupils who catch the Bus C?

• Yes, we have let Hills Road know and will be promoting this so students know which bus to get on.

Information on the app and website is sometimes different, can this be looked at?

• Yes, we will look at improving the information so residents are aware of the offers available to them particularly as a bundle of tickets can be cheaper.

Northstowe Phase 1 Permanent Community Centre - Aga Podgajna, Senior Urban Designer, AR Urbanism. Adam West, Director, CZWG Architects

Northstowe Phase 1 Permanent Community Centre - Presentation [PPTX, 4.5MB]

• In January 2023 a planning application was submitted for the temporary facility. This was approved and will be open summer 2023.
• Work is now being undertaken on the Phase 1 Permanent Community Centre.
• It will be located on Parcel 6, adjacent to the temporary facility. This is due to good visibility across The Green and Station Road, easily accessible from the surrounding residential area and opportunity for the building to provide a local landmark.
• The facility will include a main hall, foyer/café, kitchen, community co-working space, a messy activity space, meeting rooms, storage, outdoor spaces and a range of toilet facilities including a family toilet and Changing Places toilet. The main hall will accommodate 270 people in a conference style.
• A plan of the facility was shared (see presentation) and AR Urbanism and CZWG encourage the community to share their thoughts on the initial design. Now is the time for the community to tell us what you think. Comments can be sent to northstowe@ar-urbanism.com

After the presentation residents fed back that some covered outdoor space would be useful and the sustainability of the building important too.

Prior to the forum we also received a question asking how the temporary facility will cope when the permanent building is constructed given the construction noise.

• We are of the view that the need for a temporary community centre was significant enough to outweigh any challenges that it would create for delivering the permanent centre. The planning application for the permanent centre will need to include a Construction Environment Management Plan and this will take into account the adjacency of the temporary centre. Once we have a contractor on board for the delivery of the permanent centre (through the tender process) we will be working to ensure that operation of the temporary centre is as unaffected as possible.

Northstowe Phase 2 and 3 update - Emma Brown, Planning and Enabling Manager, Homes England. Dean Harris, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager, Homes England

Northstowe Phase 2 and 3 update - Presentation [PPTX, 7.5MB]

• Phase 2 Southern Access Road West and water park (lake) are now scheduled to open by July 2023. Delays have been caused by a number of factors including footpath failure issues and climatic conditions.
• Following House by Urban Splash going into administration Homes England will be commencing remarketing to find a new development partner.
• Keepmoat have now started on site and will be delivered 300 homes (expected to deliver 48 homes a year).
• Homes England have chosen their development partner for Central One and hope to be able to announce them at the next community forum.

Will the southern access road be able to deal with the anticipated traffic from the development?

• As well as the southern access road west in the future there will also be the southern access road east.

Cycle lanes are often used by residents for parking. What can be done about this?

• At the forum there was a request for symbols and double yellow lines to be painted. Homes England will take this away and speak to Highway officers and discuss.

Residents also raised the concern about the queuing of Martin Bacon taxis and their speeding.

• County Councillor Firouz Thompson stated Cambridgeshire City Council (CCC) organise these taxis and is happy to raise this with colleagues. If residents have information which can be shared do get in touch with Cllr Firouz Thompson

Please could Homes England expand on the Phase 2a timeline

• Homes England hope to have chosen a partner by Spring 2024 and with them to start on site 2026. This long timescale is due to Homes England having to go through a lengthy procurement process.

Northstowe Town Council, Events and Markets, Warm Hub, the Town Council Looking Forward - Cllr. Carla Bros Sabria, Cllr. Shola Delip, Cllr. Richard Owen, Mayor

Northstowe Town Council - Presentations [PPTX, 2.5MB]

• Northstowe Town Council are working with Living Sport and ParkPlay to bring ParkPlay to Northstowe. ParkPlay is organised games taking place every Saturday morning. Northstowe Town Council are currently looking for a Play Leader and a team of volunteers to run the activities. If you would like to involved do get in touch.
• Northstowe Town Council have been organising a monthly market which has been extremely popular. They are now planning a weekly outdoor market starting on 15 April on The Green. There will be a small number of stalls selling food and the monthly indoor markets will continue with greater variety of food and non-food and craft stalls.
• Warm Hubs have been another popular initiative. They have been taking place on Wednesday 9.30am-12.30pm and Thursdays 6pm-8pm. A range of activities have taken place including board games, colouring, knitting, table tennis, language café, yoga and wellbeing walk to the warm hub.

Questions asked after presentations:

Has changing the name of the Warm Hubs been considered?

• Yes, the name will be changed and will be now know as Community Living Room.

Community Development Officer Update, Mihaela Stan and Michele Eidevik-Skinner

• The defibrillator has been relocated from David Wilson show home to Pathfinder Primary School and is now being managed by Northstowe Town Council.
• The Language Exchange Café recently launched and was very successful. Now looking to evolve this into a Cultural Exchange café where residents will have the chance to experience different cultures from around the world.
• Following the launch of the Kickstart fund we have been approached be several groups and individuals looking to start new initiatives including a football coaching who will be starting some junior football sessions Sunday 30 April.
• Will be supporting the recently formed community group Northstowe Hub with a series of Appreciative Enquiries to understand how residents may wish to use the temporary facility. We will also be attending a range of community events including the Half Marathon, 23 April, Emmanuel Church’s 5 year celebration on 29 April and supporting Sustainable Northstowe to prepare the Great Big Green Week 10 to 18 June, including the Community Day on 17 June where residents will be able to recycle small electrical items, wood and metal.

Q&A Section

What are the plans for the Waste Recycling Centre land now the recycling centre is no longer required?

• Planning permission for Milton Recycling Centre to be expanded has been approved so there will not be a recycling centre at Northstowe. As L&Q are the owners of the land, this will now go back to them, and they will need to make a decision on how it is used.

A further question was asked if the land could be used for a skate park?

• Homes England confirmed a skate park will be delivered as part of Central One within the Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play and a pump track will be delivered as part of the Southern Eastern Sports Hub.

A further question was also asked if the aesthetics of the land allocated to the local centre be improved.

• SCDC will take this away to discuss.

Who is responsible for the temporary Park and Ride path as there are potholes in the path and it is unlit?

• The permanent Park and Ride path is now open, and the temporary path will be being closed. The lighting still needs to be installed and Cambridgeshire County Council will provide an update as soon as possible.

In the temporary community centre plans a travel plan was submitted. How are SCDC going to ensure this is implemented?

• Hirers of the facility will be asked to advertise to their service users/attendees how they can access the building and where there is appropriate parking.

Who is responsible for the rubbish in the Phase 1 lake?

• Anglian Water are now managing the Phase 1 lake. Update: Anglian Water have carried out a litter pick in and around the lake.

There are some abandoned vehicles along Heron Road. Who is responsible?

• At the forum reporting to the Police was advised, however this relates to vehicles abandoned in a dangerous place. Abandoned vehicles can be reported here.

We also received some questions for stakeholders who were unable to attend the forum and below are their answers:

There is a need for dropped kerbs down Heron Road. There are makeshift drop kerbs with tarmac up against the kerbs, but you cannot push a double buggy safely up it.

• We are ensuring by mid-April there are such a need for dropped kerbs down heron road. The final course and block paving to raised tables hasn’t been installed yet to Northstowe Parcel H12, as there is remedial work to be carried out. We currently anticipate commencing all footway and carriageway remedial work early 2024. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

When is Phase 1 due to be finished and road completed? The cycle paths are not suitable for cycling?

• Current predictions for completion of house building works are the end of Q3 2024. The finishing works to the roads will be completed following completion of the house building works.

When will the gym in the Secondary College open?

• The College is working with the Local Authority and other agencies to try to open a limited gym facility and a fully functioning café. We are at the very early stages of this process, but feel positive that we will be able to share more with the community by the summer’.

Northstowe Interim and Permanent Facilities Update - Anne Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer (Senior Responsible Officer), South Cambridgeshire District Council

[PPTX, 0.7MB]Northstowe Interim and Permanent Facilities Update, SCDC - Presentation [PPTX, 1.5MB] [PPTX, 0.7MB]

Interim Community Facilities 

• A modular building will be located next to The Green, Pathfinder Way. 
• Will sit alongside the area earmarked for the permanent community centre. 
• Will include provision for a wide range of activities for all ages including Community Cafes, baby and toddler groups, children and youth activities and meeting spaces for activity groups. 
• Contractor procured December 2022. 
• Planning Application submitted 10 January.  

Since the forum the application is now live on the Planning Portal. Reference: 23/00113/FUL 

Permanent Community Building 

• Working towards a planning application being submitted for decision in the Autumn. 
• Have reflected on feedback from previous consultation exercises.  
• Aim to undertake further public consultation around March/April. 

 Sports Pavilion 

• Work on-going at the site. 
• Additional work associated with piling and challenges of winter working has led to a delay in completion. 
• Currently anticipate completion early August, but will try to recover some lost time.  

Civic Hub 

• Next step is to develop the specification for the building.  
• Conversations with partners on-going. 

Health Services for Northstowe - David Parke, Associate Director for Primary Care

Health Services for Northstowe - Presentation [PPTX, 0.7MB]

• Northstowe residents can register with Willingham and Longstanton Medical Practice. This sits within the Cambridge Northern Villages Primary Care Network alongside 8 other Practices. They share a workforce including community pharmacists and social prescribers.  
• Currently 2,504 patients are register from Northstowe and Willingham and Longstanton Medical Practice have the capacity to take a further 5,500 patients. Workforce and operational hours to increase as necessary.  
• Through the Cambridgeshire GP Network there is an extra 44 hours of appointments per week during evenings and weekends delivered across the Cambridge Northern Villages PCN. If patients cannot access an on the day emergency appointment residents are encouraged to enquire about the Enhanced Access scheme.  
• Within the Temporary Community Centre there an NHS room is planned, which will enable health visitors/social prescribers and other services to support residents.  
• Civic Hub will contain 1740 sqm for health provision. The Civic Hub needs to be flexible to accommodate both traditional healthcare and services that address the wider determinants of health including housing, social care, social prescribing, health initiatives, social groups, leisure and active pursuits.  
• There is also more integration to deliver services through mobile services such as diagnostics.  

Questions asked after the presentation: 

Could the mobile services come to Northstowe before the permanent facility?  

There are 3 diagnostic hubs. When we build a new facility, we ask for a plug and play service as the diagnostic hubs require access to water and other services, so this may not be possible currently. 

Can we manage communications re. Willingham/Longstanton Medical Practice taking on new Northstowe patients as Longstanton/Willingham residents think Northstowe patients are impacting their service? 

Happy to speak with the Medical Practice and provide some communication for the surrounding villages to emphasise that Northstowe patients are not adversely impacting on the service and that they have capacity to take further patients.  

The branch at Willingham is currently only open during certain times so these hours will be increasing as patient numbers increase further.  

Vision sounds great but how will you ensure the vision becomes a reality?  

For some of the space uses will be restricted (due to infection control requirements) but other spaces such as the therapy rooms can be shared with other services.  

How are you going to attract GPs/other services? 

The biggest problem is attracting the right workforce. Things we are doing include: 

• GP Fellowship to undertake portfolio roles.
• For GPs close to retiring, providing incentives for them to stay.  
• More flexible working patterns.  
• Subsiding housing for professionals to locate here, given the high house prices in Cambridgeshire.  

Northstowe Education Campus Phase 2 Expansion - Alan Fitz, 0-19 Area Education Officer, People Services, Cambridgeshire County Council and Mark Rowney, Pre-construction Manager, Kier Construction

Northstowe Education Campus Phase 2 Expansion - Presentation [PPTX, 54.5MB]

• Northstowe Secondary College is currently open for 600 pupils. This will be extended to 1,200 places from September 2024 and finally to 1800 pupils. 
• As well as the Secondary College being expanded a new primary school will open which eventually will have 630 places. Initially it will open with one class in Reception to help minimise the impact on surrounding schools. There will also be 78 Early Years places. The Council is considering whether it should be full day care or another pre-school. 
• In addition, a Sixth Form centre with 400 places will be delivered. 
• Plans within the presentation illustrate the design of the buildings.  
• Planning Consultation will be open February/March.  
• Planning application determined April 2023.  
• Phased Site Commencement: July 2023.
• First School Occupations: August 2024.
• Full Completion: December 2024.

Questions asked after the presentation: 

Given the expansion of the campus how will parking be dealt with given the school car park is already full at times. 

Additional parking for the Primary School will be provided which will be a planning requirement.  

There isn’t sufficient childcare provision currently and no more planned until September 2024. Do the County have any have plans to deal with this? 

CCC acknowledged that there is a lack of childcare provision and are liaising with stakeholders on this.  

Added further since the forum: The absence of child-minding places in Northstowe, which accounts for part of the demand, results from the restrictive covenants on the properties that prohibit any form of trading from the premises. Homes England has been advised of this issue. 

Northstowe Kickstart Fund - Scott Liddle, Joint Place Coordinator, Cambridgeshire County Council and Lawrence Zeegen, Northstowe Resident

Northstowe Kickstart Fund - Presentation [PPTX, 55Kb]

• The Kickstart Fund aims to remove financial barriers to setting up community groups and events and to help with start-up costs for example, buying equipment or renting space. 
• Community Groups can apply for up to £1000.
• Please see poster for more information about projects which can be funded. 
• Deadline for applications for the first panel meeting is Monday 13 February. 
• For more information or to discuss a potential project email northstowe.community@scambs.gov.uk  

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

Community Development Officers - Report [PDF, 97Kb]

• Please do get in touch if you have ideas regarding future community projects or events in Northstowe.  
• Community Development Officers are available in person in Northstowe on a Wednesday and are also holding monthly drop-in evening events. 
• The defibrillator which was previously located at the David Wilson show home has now been relocated to Pathfinder Primary School in Northstowe. 
• We are supporting the Northstowe Horticultural Association to identify volunteers who would like to take over some of the raised beds they are building. Volunteers will also be needed for the Community Day at the orchard and allotment land on 4 February.  
• Supporting the Town Council with the Warm Hubs on a Wednesday 9.30am to 12.30pm and Thursday 6pm to 8pm, Northstowe Secondary School. The Children’s Centre is also hosting a Family Warm Space, on Thursday mornings at Pathfinder Primary School. 
• Contact details for Mihaela Stan and Michele Eidevik-Skinner northstowe.community@scambs.gov.uk  

Greater Cambridge Local Plan - Jonathan Dixon, Planning Policy Manager, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning

Greater Cambridge Local Plan presentation [PPTX, 0.8MB]

• First proposals consultation was held November to December 2021.
• Representations received to the first proposals were published June 2022.
• Updated Greater Cambridge Local Development Scheme published August 2022.
• What it means for Northstowe: Northstowe is growing at a faster rate.
• One small new development site proposed – 20 homes, Mansel Farm, Oakington.
• Next steps: Series of Joint Local Planning Advisory Group meetings October 2022 to March 2023. Formal Committee Meetings in Jan 2023.Full draft Local Plan to be considered by Members in summer 2023 and then be subject to public consultation in Autumn 2023.

Homes England - Emma Brown, Planning and Enabling Manager

Homes England presentation [PPTX, 1.5MB]

• Central One developer has been selected. Homes England hope to announce the development partner in January 2023. The Development Partner hopes to submit Reserved Matters planning application early 2023 and start construction late 2023.
• Question asked regarding opening of the Southern Road Access Road: some remedial work has been required and there is currently no date for when the road will be open.
• Question asked about delivery of the remainder of Phase 2a: Homes England confirmed that they are finishing the House by Urban Splash peninsula and will then be going out for tender for the remainder of the parcel. The chosen developer may want to implement the approved plan. However, if the developer wishes to depart from the approved plan, another planning application will be required. Therefore, it is not possible at this stage to be certain as to what extent the delivery plan will be impacted. 

Keepmoat - Joe Harrison & Ashley Wray

Keepmoat presentation [PPTX, 6MB]

• 300 homes, mixture of 1 & 2 bed apartments and 2, 3 & 4 bed houses.
• Plan to start on site in November, with materials being brought on site early next year.
• Houses likely to go on sale Q1 2023. First homes to be completed by Q3 2023.
• Question asked about the tenure spilt. 121 open market homes, 119 discount to market sale (80% market value) and 60 affordable rent.

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

Heritage Annex presentation [PPTX, 5.5MB]

• The Heritage Annex will provide a building to showcase the finds and artefacts from the excavations carried out prior to Northstowe and the upgrades to the A14 being built.
• It will also feature the history of Longstanton and RAF Oakington.
• To be built next to Northstowe House (Homes England) and made from repurposed shipping containers.
• It will provide space for hanging exhibitions and displays and be a great resource for Northstowe, bringing in visitors from across the district and beyond.
• Timetable -Foundations begun October 2022. Module fit is underway. Module delivery end of January 2023. Assembly and fit out February 2023. Exhibition installation March 2023. Open Easter 2023.

Planning Update - Luke Mills, Principal Planner, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning

Planning update presentation [PPTX, 2MB]

• Phase 3A (20/02171/OUT): Outline permission has been granted. Judicial review in progress.
• Digital Park (S/3854/19/OL): Resolution to grant, finalising s106.
• Northstowe Education Campus Extension at Prep-app stage and initial consultation is open until 22 November https://northstowe.education/consultation/. Cambridgeshire County Council hope to submit a formal planning application in December.

Greenbelt - Nick Upton, Customer Liaison Officer

Greenbelt presentation [PDF, 0.4MB]

• Greenbelt updated residents that they will be receiving their bill for the new year in the coming days. 
• Due to Greenbelt now taking on the Northern Greenway which will include more street lighting, waste bins and general management there will be an increase in bills. The new bill will be £118.53 (including VAT).
• If anyone has any questions please do get in touch with Greenbelt

Stagecoach - David Boden, Business Development Director

Stagecoach presentation [PPTX, 0.6MB]

• Citi 5 has started to go through Northstowe. The bus will go in via Pathfinder Way, onto Links Lane then onto Stirling Road, before joining Station Road. The route will then be reversed coming back into Cambridge City. The route will be extended to the Town Centre once the development is further developed.
• Questions asking why buses cannot start at Longstanton Park and Ride were put, and concerning the reliability of busway services: Stagecoach agreed the quality of service is falling short, but attributes this in part to an acute shortage of drivers. To combat this, they are offering the best pay deal possible and adjusting shifts to try and improve work-life balance to recruit more drivers. It takes time to recruit and train new drivers, particularly to operate Busway services.
• Question asked about the cost of bus fares: Stagecoach offer a range of fares, the Flexi 10 ticket which is £2.40 a day was mentioned, amongst other products, but Stagecoach acknowledged that improved promotion of these fares may be needed.

Council Delivery Update - Anne Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer (Senior Responsible Officer) South Cambridgeshire District Council

Council Delivery Update presentation [PPT, 0.6MB]

Sports Pavilion.

• Work has begun on site and is due to be completed mid-June 2023.
• Piling due to start mid-November. Newsletters have been sent to neighbouring properties.
• A question was asked about the piling. Pentaco, (the contractors) have confirmed the piling will be CFA Piling which, unlike alternative methods such as displacement piling or drive piling, is quick to install and the excavation and filling techniques cause minimal noise or vibration. Piling will start 14 November with an anticipated installation period of 6 working days.

Interim Community Facility

• Now looking at a modular temporary building.
• Expressions of interest will be going out this week.
• Lots of technical work taking place, including Procurement.
• Have a Pre-Planning Agreement.
• Aiming for spring 2023, but still a lot of work to do.
• Phase 1 Community Centre (Permanent).
• Designers appointed to design Phase 1 Community Centre and wider Local Centre.
• Appointed designers to support delivery.
• PPA in place to ensure efficient route to planning consent.
• Expect Planning Application to be submitted spring 2023.
• Consultation in the New Year.

Civic Hub

• Working with partners and stakeholders to establish a vision for the building.
• Next step is to work with partner organisations to translate vision into detailed spatial requirements.
• Key dependency on the delivery of Central One, so working with Homes England.
• Timescales: Focused on getting the detailed specification as soon as possible. This will be used to procure design and build team to take project through to delivery in 2025.

Enterprise Zone

• Received £117k of Proptech funding from DLUHC to kickstart business engagement for the Employment Zone.
• The survey is aimed at businesses from a wide range of sectors who can help inform the design. They will share their experience of what will make the Employment Zone a great place to work in.
• Survey opened 12 September and closes 14 November.
• Survey results so far -
• 99 respondents, of which 34 have registered to receive further updates.
• Majority from SME’s with 1-49 employees.
• 6 companies with 250+ employees.
• Sectors include: IT, R&D, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Automotive, Construction & Retail.
• Link to survey PlaceBuilder | Index

Question asked about the gym and café area. There is a gym and cafe planned as part of the Education Campus, in spaces already built within the secondary school. There is money for them in the s106 developer agreement, but unfortunately this is set back until later in the development. However, officers at SCDC are working closely with the Meridian Trust to find a way to bring this forward, as both the school and the community are keen to see them made available as soon as possible.

Community Development Officer's Report - Mihaela Stan & Michele Eidevik-Skinner

CDOs Report [PDF, 83Kb]

• Latest Occupation Counts: Phase 1: 1131, Phase 2: 24, Northstowe Newbuilt Total: 1155, Northstowe Overall Total (including Rampton Drift): 1254
• Michele introduced herself as the new Phase 2 Community Development Officer.
• A new Neighbourhood Watch group is being set up by residents, please get in touch if you’d like to get involved.
• A reminder that the Food Larder food is now available on the Olio app. 
• Second year of the Winter Festival is taking place from November 2022 to February 2023. It is being led by Northstowe Arts and includes: Lantern workshops during November, a lantern parade on 3 December, followed by the Christmas Tree Lights switch on, a Christmas jumper swap, a craft fair, Festive Carols, Wellness Walks and Running Challenges.
• E-bikes which can be rented, they are by Pathfinder Primary School and are provided by Cambridge Electric Transport.
• Also an electric car in Northstowe which can be booked through the Enterprise Car Club, their website gives details of membership fees and hiring prices.