11th July 2025.
Strong support at Northstowe summer engagement event.
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We had a great turnout and strong positive feedback at our recent engagement event in Northstowe, where we shared our emerging proposals for the next phase of development.
The event, held at the Northstowe Tap Room, gave local residents and interested groups a first look at plans for around 145 new homes. The proposals include a mix of housing types and tenures — homes for sale, rent and affordable housing — and introduce two new cohousing communities at the heart of the neighbourhood.
The TOWN team were joined by Mole Architects and representatives from Northstowe’s masterdeveloper Homes England. We had thoughtful and encouraging conversations with residents, local organisations and people interested in becoming future residents. Everyone who responded to the exhibition either ‘supported’ or ‘strongly supported’ the proposals.
“This is an excellent idea and will add character to Northstowe and enhance our demographic diversity. I can’t wait to see it built.”
Visitor to the exhibition.
The event was publicised through social media, leaflets to local households and a feature in Northstowe Secondary School’s newsletter. Feedback was wide-ranging, but some themes stood out in particular:
- A strong welcome for the focus on reducing loneliness and isolation
- Support for the emphasis on community and shared spaces
- Appreciation for the project’s low-energy design features
Suggestions for improvement tended to focus on the wider Northstowe context — calls for more shops, a GP surgery, sports facilities and a swimming pool were common. On the site itself, there were helpful suggestions around visitor cycle parking, delivery access and questions about how communal spaces would be managed and funded. Some people raised concerns about the risk of creating a ‘community within a community’ — something we’re continuing to explore with future residents and neighbours.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to drop in, ask questions and share your thoughts. We’re continuing to refine the plans as we move towards a planning application later this year.
