Major new developments in South Cambridgeshire

South Cambridgeshire has long been a fast growing district and in 2003 had a population of over 130,000 persons (bigger than Cambridge itself) and has become home to many of the clusters of high technology research and development in the Cambridge Sub-Region. The regional context is set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy, which was approved in May 2008. It aims to focus a higher proportion of Cambridgeshire's growth into the Cambridge Sub-Region and proposes a sequential approach to the planning of development, with much of the development concentrated into and on the edge of Cambridge (subject to a review of the Cambridge Green Belt), including development in South Cambridgeshire, and into a new town beyond the outer boundary of the Green Belt.

South Cambridgeshire expected to experience almost 40% increase in housing development between 1999 and 2016. In the past much of the housing development in the Cambridge area has been directed to the villages and towns beyond the city. Most of the new development in the district will take place on the edge of Cambridge and in a new town near to Longstanton and Oakington, named Northstowe. The economic downturn means that the construction of some developments may be delayed and take longer than planned, though house-building is likely to go ahead on other sites. Housing completions are expected to pick up again in a few years' time.

The major growth sites include:

Joint planning arrangements for Northstowe New Town and the major growth sites on Cambridge's fringes

In late 2007 the three local authorities responsible for planning major growth around Cambridge decided to work more formally in partnership by creating two Joint Development Control Committees to determine the planning applications for the major growth sites.