The plans to build to build a new town north of Waterbeach in South Cambridgeshire took a step further yesterday when the Council’s Planning Committee gave consent for Urban & Civic’s outline plans to develop the former barracks site for up to 6,500 homes, together with road, cycle and public transport upgrades, community facilities, schools, parks and woodlands.
Building out Waterbeach new town is a journey that is expected to last 20 years or more, and the granting of this outline permission lays the foundation for delivering what we envisage will be an environmentally-friendly, thriving new town, where people can live, work and play, and which delivers at least 1,950 much needed affordable homes.
The proposals include will see the creation of woodlands, grasslands and wetlands to improve the green environment for residents, meeting our aspirations to be green to our core, and helping to as well as a new local centre focussed around the existing lake.
The decision comes with a requirement through a legal agreement for £141 million developer funding towards new local services and facilities. These contributions will include funding towards local transport upgrades, community and leisure facilities.
Transport for new town
The Council recognises that transport infrastructure for Waterbeach new town is key to its future success. The approved plans includes a package of road, rail, cycle and walking measures to be delivered.
A new cycle way connecting Waterbeach to Cambridge Science Park and Cambridge Regional College will be constructed, along with three cycle crossings over the A10, a cycle connection to Cambridge Research Park and a three-metre wide walking and cycle-way between Waterbeach and Milton.
- Junction improvements along A10 at
- Car Dyke Road/Waterbeach road
- Landbeach Road/ Humphries Way
Local bus services will also be changed to higher frequencies and a temporary park and ride will be established within the new town site.
Waterbeach new town Community Facilities
Further facilities that will come forward as part of this area of the new town include:
- A secondary school, three primary schools and special needs school
- A healthcare centre and library
- A leisure centre with a swimming pool
- Four community centres
- 29 hectares of outdoor sports space
- Seven hectares of allotment and community orchard space
- Play parks, recreation areas and woodlands
Back in February, a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) including a vision to create a thriving Waterbeach new town was adopted by South Cambridgeshire District Council. This sets out the authority’s aspirations for the new town on and around the former barracks site. It outlines aspirations for the new town to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, and considers factors like how people will move around, with walking and cycling prioritised to reduce the use of private cars. The relocation of Waterbeach Railway Station, in line with Local Plan policy, was granted planning permission in September last year.
This is a significant step forward in the delivery of our Local Plan aspirations for the area. In supporting this proposal, the Council has carefully considered all of the concerns and opportunities that housing delivery at this scale entails.
“We know transport is one of the main concerns with any new development. That’s why we’re working extremely closely with Urban&Civic to agree a package of transport upgrades that not only include improvements to junctions on the A10, but also major improvements to local cycle and walking routes and bus services. There’s the new, modernised Waterbeach railway station that we gave permission for on the horizon. We’re also continuing to work with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority on larger-scale options to improve the A10.
“This proposal plays an important part in ensuring that the Council can secure the delivery of the new homes and high-quality places to live and work that we know we need.”
Tim Leathes, Development Director for Urban&Civic, who are the Development Manager appointed by the Ministry of Defence to take forward development of the site, said: “Waterbeach Barracks is the best brownfield site in the country, located uniquely in an area with huge housing need. It has been a very intense five years of work pulling together with local communities and partners the right vision for the unique opportunity that the Barracks presents economically, environmentally and socially, to create an exemplar sustainable community. We appreciate the massive effort that everyone has put into finalising these proposals, to ensure aspirational and robust plans for a high quality well connected new community, working with and respecting the existing villages and environment.”
Further detailed planning applications that set out the more precise arrangements for the site, called reserved matters applications, include the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale will be submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council by Urban&Civic in future.
A separate application for up to 4,500 new homes on the eastern half of the planned new town site was submitted by different developers, RLW Estates, in June last year. Their application, which covers land between the former barracks and railway line, is still being assessed by the Council.