Cambourne expansion moves forward with plans for an athletics track and swimming pool

Plans for 2,350 new homes and millions of pounds of new facilities at Cambourne have taken a major step forward.

Plans for 2,350 new homes and £45million of community and sporting facilities at Cambourne are progressing after a legal agreement has been drafted and signed by South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambourne Parish Council.

An athletics track and funding towards a new swimming pool are among the community facilities mentioned. A BMX track and sports pavilion also feature on plans.

The expansion to Cambourne will be built on land around the existing secondary school and extends from the tree belt to the west of Lower Cambourne to the A1198, and from the A428 in the north to the Caxton Bypass in the south.

A formal decision notice, confirming the granting of planning permission subject to conditions and the Section 106 agreement to deliver facilities, has now also been sent to the developers, Taylor Wimpey and Bovis Homes.

Cllr Robert Turner, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “Cambourne already has some great facilities, and this developer funding will build upon those. From an early stage, we’ve worked closely with Cambourne Parish Council to understand what new and existing residents would most benefit from.

“This agreement will ensure that money goes towards what we know are the right priorities for the community both now and in the future. Cambourne already has a brilliant sense of community, and I’m confident that the addition of these extra facilities will further enhance this.”

The new facilities will not only be for new and existing residents, but will also provide greater sporting, shopping and employment opportunities for residents of the surrounding villages and beyond.

The expansion of Cambourne will include:

Two primary schools and a second secondary school

Sports pitches and play areas

Shops and community space

Offices and light industrial employment areas

Public open space

Surface water drainage and landscaping

Segregated cycle and pedestrian routes

Alterations to an existing access off the A1198 and the redesign of the Caxton bypass and Cambourne Road roundabouts

705 affordable homes

Following the planning approval for the entire site, a series of more detailed applications will be submitted for drainage and roads, and to describe the look and feel of homes, buildings and facilities. Developers hope to start work on site later this year, with the first new homes expected to be delivered the following year.

A total of £8.7million from the developer agreement has also been allocated for improving public transport links between Cambourne and Cambridge and nearby villages. The money is planned to be added to funding available through the Greater Cambridge Partnership, to deliver proposals for faster, reliable and sustainable bus services between Cambourne and Cambridge.