The University of Cambridge has signed a Section 106 legal agreement in order to kickstart its new development project, which will see 4,300 new jobs and 100,000 sq m of new commercial property for academic and research work.
The North West Cambridge development, which is being developed by AECOM, will see 2,000 student rooms and 3,000 homes; 50 per cent of the latter being affordable and offered to University staff for lower rents. The site will also include major landscaping, with at least a third of the area providing both informal and formal green spaces.
Roger Taylor, project director of the North West Cambridge development, said: “Community building is at the heart of the North West Cambridge development. The public amenities of the scheme will serve those who will live on the development and beyond.
“The development is also instrumental in securing the university’s long-term success and position on a global stage through the provision of living and research accommodation that will help recruit and retain the best staff and students from around the world.”
The project is part of wider plans to expand the city of Cambridge and renovate the university facilities over the next 20 years. AECOM has offered full advice on plans, landscaping, town planning and sustainability since plans were initially proposed back in 2003. The firm will continue to lead consultation as the first phase gets underway.
The first phase of the project will offer 350 new homes, rooms for 300 students and various communal facilities. The university will be sending various applications in the next few months, with hopes that construction can begin later this year.
The first phase buildings are scheduled to be completed by late 2015.