What is an “eco-town”?
In April 2007, the Communities and Local Government department (CLG) invited bids for eco-towns across the country.

These new developments were set five key criteria, which were that:

  • Eco-towns must be new settlements, separate and distinct from existing towns but well linked to them. They need to be additional to existing plans, with a minimum target of 5,000 homes.
  • The development as a whole should reach zero carbon standards, and each town should be an exemplar in at least one other area of environmental sustainability
  • Eco-town proposals should provide for a good range of facilities within the town – a secondary school, a medium scale retail centre, good quality business space and leisure facilities.
  • Affordable housing should make up between 30 and 50 percent of the total, through a wide range and distribution of tenures in mixed communities, with a particular emphasis on larger family homes.
  • A management body which will help develop the town, provide support for people moving to the new community, for businesses and to co-ordinate delivery of services and manage facilities.

    Bids were submitted in 58 locations (one of which was later withdrawn) for eco-town status and in April 2008, Hanley Grange was shortlisted as one of the 15 proposals to be consulted on before the final list of up to 10 sites is chosen in autumn 2008.

    What does “zero carbon” mean?
    Zero carbon means that over one year, the net carbon emissions from all energy use within the buildings on the development are zero.

    Why was Hanley Grange selected?
    In our submission to CLG, the project team for Hanley Grange were able to show that the site had the potential to meet all the criteria set out in the prospectus and could achieve the outcomes sought by the government.

    Where is Hanley Grange?
    The Hanley Grange site is located between the A11, the A1301 and the A505.

    What is proposed?
    There has been no planning application submitted for the site, however like all other eco-towns the proposals will be for a sustainable, zero carbon development. The new Hanley Grange proposal will feature approximately 6,700 homes, of which a significant number will be affordable in order to respond to the extreme housing affordability pressures in the area. We also propose a secondary school, primary schools, a health centre and a range of community facilities, shops and public spaces with a town centre that we hope will include a Tesco store.

    This will meet a need for housing in an area of short affordable housing and deliver a sustainable community with homes, shops, public spaces and community facilities.

    What makes Hanley Grange different from other shortlisted sites?
    As well as being able to deliver a zero carbon, sustainable community, Hanley Grange addresses a number local issues:

    • The area has a severe shortage of housing, particularly affordable housing, which is making it difficult for the children of local people to get on the housing ladder.
    • The proposals are located at the heart of the South Cambridge high tech cluster which is vital for the local, regional and national economy, but which lacks enough homes to ensure it is able to grow
    • It will help South Cambridgeshire become a more attractive location both to prospective companies wishing to invest in the area and to people seeking work amongst the science related industries.
    • Hanley Grange has excellent connections to existing public transport networks and through managed transport systems can fully integrate into the surrounding area
    • It is deliverable and has a team working on it with the expertise to ensure it will reach the highest levels of sustainability.
    Who is Jarrow Investments?
    Jarrow Investments Limited is one of the larger landowners in the area.

    What is the involvement of Tesco?
    Jarrow Investments has a long-standing commercial agreement with Tesco to work with them and other landowners to take forward the proposals for Hanley Grange. One of the requirements set out by the government for eco-towns is that they should provide a good range of facilities, including a secondary school, a medium scale retail centre, good quality business space and leisure facilities. We hope a Tesco store will play a part in delivering that retail centre and are delighted they are involved as Tesco an industry leader in the development of sustainable supermarkets.

    How many landowners does Hanley Grange consist of?
    Jarrow Investments is one of the larger landowners in Hanley Grange, there are others who we will be working closely as we explore the eco-town opportunity further.

    What will the effect on Northstowe be?
    We believe that Hanley Grange will be complementary to the development of Northstowe.

    As set out in the Eco Towns Prospectus, “The Cambridge Challenge” is that the high technology economy has been growing rapidly, but the “lack of housing is a major inhibitor to economic growth”. Hanley Grange offers a long term solution by providing a counterbalance to Northstowe to the north of Cambridge, with a new settlement to the south of Cambridge in the Hinxton area that will help meet the need for homes in the South Cambridge high-technology cluster.

    We have given an undertaking to the Communities and Local Government department that should extra funding be required for delivery bodies, we will provide this.

    What will the effect on traffic be in the area?
    While Hanley Grange has excellent access to the A505, the A11 and the M11, a central focus of the transport strategy will be to encourage people not to use their cars. This will be achieved through a number of measures, including locating houses close to supporting facilities and delivering a bus network linking areas of employment, railway stations and surrounding communities such as Cambridge.

    The site is close to two rail stations at Whittlesford and Great Chesterford on the London to Cambridge rail line and is on the Cambridge to Saffron Walden bus corridor. Also, as it is centrally located within the South Cambridge high technology cluster it will help integrate housing with local employment sites which can help reduce car use.

    Access to public transport and local employment sites is one of Hanley Grange’s strongest points.

    What is in the detail of the scheme?
    The plans are still at an early stage and detail is not yet available. Any proposal is subject to further consultation by the Communities and Local Government department and would be subject to the normal planning process.

    This would include a comprehensive and meaningful pre-application consultation with the local community and other interested stakeholders.

    Will the project be subject to normal planning procedures?
    Absolutely. Any future application will have to go through the usual planning procedure and democratically elected local councillors will be able to have their say on the scheme.