Vistry has signed a conditional contract with Homes England to accelerate the delivery of 1,000 new homes at the agency’s Northstowe community in Cambridgeshire.

The agreement will advance Phase 3B of the development, delivering around 900 homes alongside two smaller 50-unit plots for SME builders. The phase also includes a primary school and essential infrastructure such as roads and green spaces in the northern part of the site. Of the total homes, 40% will be designated as affordable housing, with Vistry contributing over £20m towards social infrastructure and planning obligations through Section 106. 

When finished, Northstowe is expected to comprise approximately 10,000 homes across a 540-hectare site. Outline planning consent for residential development was first granted by South Cambridgeshire District Council in 2014, with the scheme progressing in multiple phases. Phase one, led by Urban and Civic, is due to complete this summer, comprising around 1,500 homes, two new primary schools, a secondary school, a sixth form college and a special school. Northstowe also has its own town council and mayor. Homes England is responsible for phases two and three, which have commenced. Phase two includes 3,500 homes alongside shops and cafes, while phase 3a will deliver up to 4,000 dwellings, a local centre and two new primary schools at the southern end of Northstowe.

A detailed planning application is due to be made for the first stage of phase 3b before the end of 2026, with building work expected to start in 2027 and the first residents moving in from 2028.