Health and well-being to be at the heart of Northstowe

Through NHS England’s Healthy New Towns initiative, supported by Public Health England, CUH, SCDC and HCA have won support to develop plans for health to be ‘designed in’ to Northstowe from the beginning.

Over the next 20 years Northstowe will become a community of 10,000 new homes encompassing everything a vibrant community needs, including a new town centre with shops, businesses, schools and other facilities. The focus on health and well-being will mean doctors’ surgeries, sports facilities, parks and play areas are integrated into the community. It will also be designed to encourage people to walk or bike to school, work and around the town.

Northstowe will serve as an exemplar of what is possible and best practice could be applied to future strategic growth locations.

Lawrence Ashelford, director of strategy, policy and planning at CUH, said: “We are delighted that our bid to make Northstowe a community where health and wellbeing is intertwined with the design of housing, infrastructure and facilities has been successful.

“Cambridgeshire has an expanding population as well as a growing ageing population.  We now have a fantastic double opportunity to work with our partners to improve the health of the people of Cambridgeshire.

“Northstowe will be a community which encourages healthy living, helping to prevent future health problems like obesity. It will provide accommodation and facilities that cater for the growing numbers of frail elderly people, many of whom suffer dementia and other cognitive problems, helping them to live independently for longer and allowing their medical conditions to be treated in the local community.”

Paul Kitson Head of Northstowe at the HCA said:  “This is an exciting time for Northstowe with development having started already on phase one by Gallagher and our programme of work for phase two on track to start soon.  I look forward to working with the partners and the community on this new initiative.”  

Cllr Tim Wotherspoon, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “This successful bid cements what we are trying to achieve at Northstowe, which has been designed from the outset as a town for healthy living. The town will have an excellent network of cycleways, sports facilities and give people every opportunity to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This project gives us the opportunity to explore new and innovative ideas with the housebuilders and academics involved to help people live independently in their own homes for longer and reduce the need for people to go into hospital or care.”

 
Notes

The development of Northstowe is being driven by a working partnership between South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Gallagher Longstanton Ltd and the Homes and Communities Agency.

For more information go on to www.northstowe.com / Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/northstowe / Follow us on twitter @NorthstoweTown

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the Government’s land delivery and housing investment agency and is the developer for the phases two and three including the old airfield site with the aim of bringing forward surplus public sector land for housing.

Gallagher is one of the UK’s largest master developers, promoting and delivering residential and mixed use schemes across the country. In addition to Northstowe, Gallagher is currently promoting another new town in Bedford (The Wixams), and six other new communities in South Midlands/East of England growth areas.   Gallagher is the developer for phase one working in partnership with the HCA and both local authorities.

 

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For further information, please contact Adrian Ient, Media Relations Manager
Communications Department, Cambridge University Hospitals, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 274433 Email: adrian.ient@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
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