Liberal Democrat MP visits Longhurst Group’s affordable homes as part of Waterbeach development
10 September 2024
We were delighted to welcome a newly-elected MP during a visit to some of our affordable housing in Cambridgeshire.
Charlotte Cane, who was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire in July, joined our Director of Growth, Development and Sales Nick Worboys and Head of Sales Chris Parkinson at our affordable homes in Waterbeach.
We’re providing affordable homes as part of the wider redevelopment of the former barracks and airfield site, which will see 6,500 homes built as well as five new schools, retail, commercial and green space, as well as new cycle connections and a sustainable travel hub.
We were selected by the master developer Urban&Civic to be the preferred affordable housing provider for the development. We’ve since worked in partnership with Urban&Civic, Stonebond and Cala to bring the homes to fruition.
Work started on the first two parcels of land in June 2023 and will see us provide a total of 50 affordable homes of various sizes which will be made available for affordable rent, Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy.
Nick Worboys, Director of Growth, Development and Sales, said: “It was great to welcome Charlotte to Waterbeach and show her the affordable homes we’re providing in her constituency.
“We had a good conversation about the need for a long-term plan for housing and the importance of cross-party working on this issue.
“We know there’s a need for affordable housing in this area and to be able to do our bit to help address this need as part of the overall redevelopment of the area is a privilege for the Group.
“Our affordable homes will be made available on a variety of tenures meaning as many local people as possible will have the opportunity to call this development home.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our new customers to their homes as soon as possible.”
In 2022/23, average house prices in East Cambridgeshire were 10 times higher than the mean annual earnings.
Charlotte Cane MP said: “It was fantastic to see the new affordable homes in Waterbeach, and I'm excited to see the new community develop here.
“Our area has a pressing need for new housing and these affordable schemes are vital to allow people to live in this development long-term.
“Ensuring that new homes come alongside new infrastructure, services, and green spaces is a priority for me, as they turn new developments into new communities.”
Paul Mumford, Project Director for Urban&Civic said: “We’re working closely with South Cambridgeshire District Council and Longhurst Group to develop a mix of affordable homes at Waterbeach, including Shared Ownership and traditional affordable rent opportunities.
“It’s great to see this happening. Affordable homes are essential at Waterbeach to support the needs of local families and we look forward to continued working with Longhurst Group to welcome more people as the community grows.”
