280 new affordable homes in Peterborough and Stilton approved

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by Mayor James Palmer, has approved the spend of £19.1 million to create 453 new affordable homes over 13 sites for people across the county.

This includes 271 homes in Peterborough - including at the former British Sugar and Perkins Engines sites - and 10 at the former motel site in 16 North Street, Stilton.

Mayor Palmer said: “Delivering on affordable housing is about more than putting a roof over people’s heads. Safe, secure housing is linked to economic mobility, health and emotional wellbeing and family and financial security.

“In a year which has seen the construction industry set back by unprecedented challenges, it is nothing short of remarkable to be bringing forward over 450 new affordable homes for people right across the region and I want to thank everyone for their hard work in making this possible.

“I’m a passionate advocate for home ownership; it is simply not right that so many hardworking people are locked out of the property market through high prices and unattainable mortgages. I will continue to do everything I can to provide more affordable homes for the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, a human right and cornerstone of a prosperous, inclusive society.”

The mayoral authority received £170 million from the Government in 2017 to deliver 2,500 affordable homes across the area - of which £70 million (500 homes) is ringfenced for Cambridge - by March 2022.

It has also committed to building an additional 100,000 homes, including 40,000 affordable homes, by 2037.

Schemes approved

. Springfield Avenue, March, Fenland – 32 homes

. Sandpit Road, Thorney Peterborough – 5 homes

. British Sugar, Sugar Way, Peterborough – 74 homes

. Disused garage sites across Peterborough – 19 homes

. Perkins Engines, Newark Road, Fengate, Peterborough – 96 homes

. Old motel site, Stilton, Huntingdonshire – 10 homes

. Oundle Road, Peterborough – 77 homes.

The 74 homes at the former British Sugar site were due to be a mixture of affordable (22) and market-price (52) homes after the company moved its offices to Hampton.

The bungalows at disused garage sites will be for over 55s and will be situated at: Bluebell Avenue and Eastern Avenue in Dogsthorpe, Thistle Drive and Appleyard in Stanground and Hallfields Lane in Gunthorpe.

The 96 homes at the former Perkins Site will be next to 104 affordable properties which were completed in July, with the entire development to be managed by Cross Keys Homes.

In addition, the 77 homes in Oundle Road will be at the former East Anglia Galvanising Works, CB Collier, a property development consultancy, will submit a planning application alongside a housing association to deliver the scheme with works expected to begin by the end of next year.

And at Sandpit Road in Thorney, the proposal is for Heylo Housing - which was established in partnership with Lancashire County Council’s Pension Fund - to work with housebuilders Larkfleet Homes to deliver the properties.

The units were originally due to be sold at market rate.

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Since the onset of Covid-19, which has impacted the construction industry, the combined authority has been working with housing developers on a range of solutions including offering interest-free loans to encourage them to keep building affordable homes in the area.

Moreover, £40 million of the initial government investment is being used as a ‘revolving fund’. Rather than being given away as grants, it is loaned to developers to enable the start of construction on sites with affordable housing. Once it is repaid (with interest) it can be used again and again to fund more affordable housing.