New Communities

The New Communities Service has recently been created to drive forward the Council's work in creating vibrant and sustainable new communities in South Cambridgeshire, while at the same time ensuring benefits for local residents.

We are planning for new communities around the edge of Cambridge city, significant developments in some villages including Cambourne, and a new town at Northstowe of 9,500 homes. Overall, the work is expected to take over twenty years.

The New Communities service includes:

Community Services team who support and promote community, arts, sports development and community engagement.
Growth Projects team who co-ordinate the input from other departments, and work to tackle climate change, improve the local economy and provide affordable housing.
Major Developments Planning team who work with the Joint Planning Director and corporate manager for planning and sustainable communities to manage the planning applications for the major developments.
Joint Urban Design Team who ensures a high quality of design advice and improvement to the quality of the existing and proposed public realm and developments across the authority.

The New Communities service will strengthen our approach to managing growth. We want to create a visionary and vibrant service that attracts people to move to the new developments because they are great places to live and work, and ensure that the growth areas bring benefits to everyone in South Cambridgeshire.

Affordable Housing

Developers are required to provide a percentage of affordable housing within all new developments. We are working with a number of Registered Social Landlords to deliver a variety of affordable housing within the growth areas including rented and part ownership properties.

Arts development

The Arts service is dedicated to developing the arts in the district for the benefit of everyone. Through work with professional arts partners, village colleges and community groups, the arts service are committed to increasing access and developing new opportunities, particularly linked to the arts and health agenda.

Community development

The role of the community development is to facilitate communities in developing and sustaining their own projects by providing grant aid, support and advice, and by making the links to wider partnership working that provide sustainability for these projects.

Community grants

Find out what grants are available and how to apply.

Involving young people

The participation of children and young people in decision-making is an ongoing process and not a one off task - find out how to get involved.

Major developments

South Cambridgeshire is one of the Governments four "growth" areas and as such is identified for substantial development over the next 10 - 12 years seeing its population rise to 162,000 by 2016. The Major developments team lead on the planning aspects of growth working to deliver sustainable communities at all the major sites identified.

Sports development

The sports service aims to create opportunities for young people, facilitate sports development and promote healthy lifestyles in the community. It works in partnership with other local authorities, groups and individuals to provide improved cultural and community services for its residents.

Urban Design

The Urban Design Team reviews and develops possible improvement plans i.e. for public realm, public art, derelict land use, etc. for consultation and consideration by local communities. It also provides ongoing design advice and input to a variety of planning application stages and design coding focused on major growth areas change, including project management and/or advice for other sites as requested.

Contact the new communities service on:

Telephone (01954) 713239 or 713359 or 713430
Email: new.developments@scambs.gov.uk (This link will open in a new window)