Bourn Airfield development moves step closer as partnership buys up site

Long-awaited plans for 3,500 homes at Bourn Airfield have taken a step forward after a government-backed group purchased the site.

Planning permission for the development at the former Second World War airfield was issued last July following a three-year delay.

The site has been purchased by a new partnership of Homes England, Greycoat Real Estate and asset management company Oaktree.

It comes amid wider plans for a growth corridor between Cambridge and Oxford, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves hoped would add £78bn to the UK economy.

The partnership said it would deliver £115m of investment towards infrastructure for the development, with the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge busway being “key” to this.

Jon Kenny, director of strategic land at Greycoat Real Estate, said: “Our partnership is focused on the acceleration of new homes through early upfront delivery of much needed infrastructure. For Bourn Airfield that means delivering 40 per cent affordable housing and facilitating the delivery of the C2C to create a sustainable, well-connected community.

“We are playing an important role in the government’s growth plans for Cambridge and the expansion of this incredible city.

“By accelerating this vital project, we are not only supporting the Chancellor’s strategic objectives for the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor but also contributing to the region’s long-term prosperity and sustainable growth.”