Approval secured for historic site at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
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Approval secured for historic site at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire

Published on 24 January 2022

On behalf of CALA Homes (North Home Counties), JTP is delighted to share the news that Waterbeach Eastern Woods has been granted planning consent by South Cambridgeshire District Council to deliver 111 new homes as part of Urban&Civic’s wider masterplan for the 716 acre site which will deliver up to 6,500 homes.

Originally a former army barracks and airfield, Waterbeach Eastern Woods is the second parcel to come forward at Reserved Matters Application stage and will provide the new homes in range of sizes from 1 and 2 bedroom apartments to 3 and 4 bedroom dwellings. A total of 35 (31.5%) affordable homes have been proposed on site as a mixture of affordable rent, shared ownership, discount market sale and rent to buy. The tenure of each home will be visually indistinguishable to ensure a tenure blind community.

The design of houses and apartments have been developed with reference to the Waterbeach Key Phase 1 Regulatory Plan and Design Code requirements and comprises a series of terraced housing and apartment buildings organised around communal streets and lanes. A landscape masterplan links into the surrounding network of streets and spaces to establish a cohesive sense of place across Waterbeach Barracks as it evolves over future phases.

At the heart of the neighbourhood lies a linear east-west green space which acts as a focal point within the community and connects the surrounding landscape features of Waterbeach Woods with Rye Gardens. Pockets of soft landscape enrich the streetscape within the neighbourhood. These spaces will be well overlooked by homes fronting directly onto the landscape, whilst the placement of buildings have been carefully considered to align with key views from Rye Gardens and Waterbeach Woods.

New links across the site provide easy and walkable access to the existing bus routes to the west, as well as connect efficiently into the wider cycle network, providing opportunities for active travel to the town centre, railway station, and countryside.

The architecture of the Eastern Woods to create a contemporary aesthetic that is shared across all buildings. Brick will be the predominant material and is enlivened through the use of basketweave brick detailing, window surrounds, coloured front doors and timbered entrances. Bold building forms create a strong silhouette and clear rhythm to the new streets, alongside generous window openings and roof terraces to capitalise on the vibrant Waterbeach landscape that surrounds the new homes.

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The new homes at Eastern Woods offer a high-quality, attractive and sensitive addition to the wider proposals for Waterbeach Barracks, supporting the growth of Cambridgeshire and the local community. We look forward to continuing our strong collaboration with CALA and Urban&Civic as the project commences on site in the forthcoming months.
Rebecca Taylor, Partner at JTP