South Cambridgeshire District Council has confirmed that Morrisons Daily will open the first convenience store in Northstowe in the Council’s newly built retail store.
The Council purchased a 190 square-metre retail unit from Keepmoat Homes as part of a wider development that also includes Council apartments for affordable rent on phase two of Northstowe.
An opening date will be announced to the Northstowe community by Morrisons Daily soon. In the meantime, work will take place to finish the fit-out of the shop.
The affordable homes and retail unit form part of the Keepmoat Homes Stirling Fields development. Homes England, master developer for phases two and three of Northstowe, appointed Keepmoat to deliver the scheme, where around 230 homes have now been sold and completed, alongside the commercial unit. South Cambridgeshire District Council has since completed on the commercial arrangements for a tenant, bringing the first permanent shop to serve Northstowe's growing community.
The new building on Harebell Road looks out onto the Greenway – the green park connecting community areas with a children’s play area close by. The store will be located on the ground floor with six affordable flats for Council rent above. Those six flats are the final of 60 new Council homes which the District Council is providing at Northstowe in partnership with Keepmoat Homes.
Cllr Dr. Lisa Redrup, Lead Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “This is an exciting milestone for Northstowe. As a growing new town that is still in the early stages of its development, one of our main priorities has been to ensure people can get hold of everyday essentials close to where they live. This new retail unit provides the town’s first shop and does just that. We’ve worked hard for a long time to make this happen - and we’re delighted to see this long-awaited facility become a reality."
Cllr John Batchelor, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Housing, commented: “This is about creating places where people have access to the services they need close to home, while also providing genuinely affordable homes for local people. By delivering this unit, with a well-known food retailer, we're situating 190m2 of retail space right next to new affordable homes. The six affordable flats above the retail unit complete our programme of 60 Council homes for rent at this location, helping to ensure Northstowe grows as a balanced and sustainable community.”
Matthew Brown, head of large sites at Homes England, added: “Thriving communities need more than just homes - they need the facilities and services that make everyday life work. That's why, from the outset, we built the requirement for commercial development into our partnership with Keepmoat at Stirling Fields. Seeing the first shop completed is a real milestone, and we're delighted that a food store has been secured as the first tenant. This is a tangible example of partners collaborating from design through to delivery and reflects the growing momentum at Northstowe as more Homes England partners come on board to help shape a truly well-rounded community.”
District Councillor for Northstowe, Cllr Natalie Warren-Green, said: “Residents have helped shape Northstowe from the very beginning, and the arrival of this new shop marks another important step in the town’s growth. We look forward to welcoming more businesses to Northstowe and supporting the development of a vibrant town centre that meets the needs of our growing community.”
Fellow District Councillor for Northstowe, Cllr Sunita Hansraj commented: “This new shop will be a welcome addition for residents and will help create the lively, welcoming heart that communities need. As more people make Northstowe their home, it's fantastic to see local facilities growing alongside the town and contributing to the strong sense of community that already exists here.”
South Cambridgeshire District Council has already delivered the award-winning Unity Centre for Northstowe, along with the Western Park sports pavilion, and continues to develop exciting plans with Homes England for the Town Hub and a second sports pavilion, which will be near to the existing education campus and recently opened BMX pump track.
View all news