TOWN is working in an exciting new partnership with Homes England to establish a new cohousing community at Northstowe.

TOWN’s planned development of around 140 homes is expected to include one or two cohousing communities, including and alongside a mix of homes for private sale and affordable housing.

The cohousing community will be part of the new town of Northstowe, a planned settlement of up to 10,000 new homes for 25,000 residents, alongside, schools, green spaces and community facilities that is being delivered by Homes England and a range of partners.

A codesign workshop for Angel Yard.

TOWN is currently inviting people who are interested in living in a cohousing community at Northstowe to sign up via our cohousing page. Once registered, you will receive more detailed information about the project and have the opportunity to tell us more about your circumstances, requirements and wishes through a survey. Additionally, you will be invited to participate in webinars and in-person events to find out more about the project and cohousing more generally. This will include a visit to the site itself and to see Marmalade Lane, TOWN’s first cohousing development in Cambridge.

A conceptual view of the edge of the proposed development at Northstowe. Mole Architects.

As the site is part of the wider Northstowe development, we expect this project to progress quickly. At August 2024, we are recruiting members to the cohousing group, and we expect to work closely alongside these individuals to bring forward a detailed planning application in early 2025. We hope to be in a position to commence construction in late 2025.

The car-free street at Marmalade Lane.

We are at the early stages of designing this new development, so the mix of house types and other spaces will be shaped through a collaborative codesign process, where future residents work alongside TOWN and the wider team to input into the design of the community. We expect the development to contain a wide mix of house types, from one-bed apartments to larger family houses, with the eventual mix being shaped by the needs of the people who’ll live here.

Like other cohousing communities, the development will feature shared spaces, such as a large shared garden and a Common House where residents can cook and eat together. Other shared spaces might include guest rooms for visiting friends and family, children’s play spaces, space for home working, movie nights and exercise classes, and a space for shared tools and hobbies.

If you’d like to find out more about cohousing to help you decide whether this is right for you, you can read TOWN’s post-occupancy report of Marmalade Lane – ‘Insights from Marmalade Lane’. The report explores how the 105 adults and children who live there today make use of the shared spaces, resources and facilities. The findings highlight the impact the development has had on the lives of its residents and the social value it continues to generate for them and the wider community.
Or, you can email Frances at frances@wearetown.co.uk.