Planning permission has been granted by South Cambridgeshire District Council for a distinctive new neighbourhood at Northstowe that will bring two cohousing communities together within a mixed-tenure development.
The project is the first major development from a joint venture between TOWN and award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, working in partnership with Homes England as master developer for phases two and three of the new town.
The partnership was established to scale the delivery of cohousing and other community-focused neighbourhoods across the south of England, combining Hill’s delivery capability with TOWN’s expertise in resident-led development. Northstowe marks the first project in this pioneering programme.
Designed by Mole Architects, the development will deliver 145 homes across four compact urban buildings adjacent to the emerging town centre. 40% of homes will be affordable, comprising Affordable Rent and Discount Market Sale.
The development includes a national first: two cohousing communities delivered side-by-side as part of a strategic new town expansion. The neighbourhood will accommodate Suvana Cohousing, a community grounded in Buddhist principles, alongside Northstowe Cohousing, a multi-generational group modelled on Marmalade Lane.
Future residents have played a direct role in shaping the proposals through an extended codesign process, influencing home layouts, shared facilities and landscape design. The housing mix includes terrace houses, maisonettes and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms.
The masterplan is organised around a car-free play street linking directly to the Greenway park. Shared gardens, play spaces and two common houses provide the social infrastructure for communal meals, gatherings and everyday interaction.
All houses will be timber-framed and all homes are designed to achieve high energy performance, incorporating air-source heat pumps and low-carbon materials. The landscape strategy, developed by Guarda Landscape, integrates sustainable drainage, edible planting and natural play environments. Streets prioritise walking, cycling and play in line with Building for a Healthy Life principles.
Planning approval marks an important milestone for the TOWN-Hill joint venture.
Jonny Anstead, Director at TOWN, said: “Projects like this are still very rare in the UK. Opportunities to deliver cohousing at scale don’t come along often. What makes Northstowe particularly unusual is that we’re creating two cohousing communities side by side within a single neighbourhood.
“It’s also an important moment for our partnership with Hill. This is the first project from the joint venture to reach planning, and it shows how community-focused housing can be delivered as part of mainstream development.”
Tom Hill, Managing Director at The Hill Group, said: "We’re pleased to reach this exciting milestone with planning granted for this unique development. Partnership working has been central to bringing these two cohousing communities to life, and we look forward to starting on site and delivering high-quality homes that foster community, sustainability and intergenerational living."
Matthew Brown, Head of Large Sites at Homes England, said: “Diversifying the housing offer at Northstowe is essential to accelerating delivery and creating a resilient new town. This scheme demonstrates how cohousing, affordable housing and high-quality design can be brought together within a commercially viable development.”
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026.
