Homes England has unveiled a new pipeline of projects worth over £200m, marking the first release under the new Labour government. This pipeline, detailing 14 projects planned over the next 18 months, includes significant developments starting as early as November 2024.
Major Projects in the Pipeline
The largest project is a £52m initiative to build phases 3a and 3b of Northstowe in South Cambridgeshire, which will feature 5,000 new homes and three primary schools. Homes England submitted plans for this 30-year project in 2020 and has already developed roads, public transport routes, and cycleways. The tender for this project is expected in December, with the contract award anticipated in June 2025, and construction set to take 44 months.
Northstowe Development Highlights
Additionally, a £27.6m tender for highways and infrastructure at Northstowe is expected in January, with a contract award in August. This contract will last 27 months. Another £5m project for road development at Northstowe is also planned for next year.
Burtree Garden Village Plans
The second-largest contract in the pipeline is a £30m framework for development monitoring and management services of Homes England properties, set for tender in October and contracting out in May.
A £27m project for Burtree Garden Village near Darlington is also included. This 18-month project, which began tendering last month, involves constructing an access roundabout, spine road, and secondary roads. Homes England expects to award this contract in December.
In January 2023, Homes England announced a £43m investment in Burtree Garden Village, which will include 2,000 new homes and 200,000 square metres of employment space. Alongside developer Hellens Group, Homes England submitted a planning application to Darlington Borough Council in January 2023.
Government’s New Housing Targets
The pipeline also features a £15m plan for a new primary school in Brookleigh, Sussex, and a £5m project for early planting works and an offsite mobility corridor in the same town. These initiatives aim to enhance the town’s infrastructure and support its growing community. The projects are expected to commence in early 2025.
The new Labour government, under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, has announced significant changes to housebuilding policies, including reinstating local housing targets. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. The government is also consulting on planning law changes to utilise previously developed “greybelt” land for homebuilding. These ambitious plans have left many in the industry feeling optimistic about the future. However, only time will tell if these goals will be fully realised, and we sincerely hope that they will be.
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