NORTHSTOWE, Cambridgeshire s first new town, came a step closer to reality this week when developers submitted an outline planning application for the town and new roads. The site of the disused Oakington airfield will have 9,500 homes when complete in th

NORTHSTOWE, Cambridgeshire's first new town, came a step closer to reality this week when developers submitted an outline planning application for the town and new roads.

The site of the disused Oakington airfield will have 9,500 homes when complete in the early 2020s - one-fifth of the extra dwellings needed in the Cambridge sub-region by 2016.

Joint promoters English Partnerships and Gallagher have asked South Cambridgeshire District Council to agree to a town centre, employment areas and schools for a community of up to 24,000 people. A 12-week public consultation on the plans starts on January 7.

Four planning applications have been submitted - one outline application for the new town and three full applications for the highway links to Northstowe and A14 improvements.

English Partnerships Regional Director, John Lewis, said: "The plans represent high standards in design, public transport, cycling, employment, water and flood management, energy efficiency and extensive green open spaces, which exceed one third of the total area for Northstowe."

Alan Joyner, Cambridge Executive Director for Gallagher, added: "We have listened carefully to the public and the stakeholder feedback and discussed the developing plans at every stage with the local authorities. We are immensely grateful to the many hundreds of individuals and scores of organisations in the area who have helped us shape this vision."

Construction of the first homes could start in summer 2009.

Sir David Trippier, chairman of Cambridgeshire Horizons, the company set up to deliver £5billion of infrastructure to support 50,000 new homes in the Cambridge sub-region, said: "This is a really positive step towards delivering much needed housing."

INFORMATION: The applications can be viewed on-line at www.scambs.gov.uk or at the offices of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council, and in libraries.

# THE Government has promised Cambridgeshire nearly £15million for 2008/09 to help provide infrastructure for nearly 50,000 new homes in the Cambridge sub-region by 2016.