Planning permission has been approved for the second phase of the Marleigh development in Cambridge.

The Hill Group and its joint venture partner Marshall secured full Reserved Matters planning for the development, which will deliver a further 421 new mixed-tenure homes alongside a variety of new public spaces.

The new phase will run in conjunction with the current phase of the scheme, which aims to deliver 547 new homes and a wealth of community facilities, including a primary school, a nursery, a market square and a community centre over the next five years.

Andy Hill of Hill Marshall LLP said: "We are delighted to have secured planning for the delivery of more homes and community facilities in this exciting new neighbourhood in East Cambridge, which has attracted a broad mix of buyers already.

"We have an unwavering commitment to supporting the wider Cambridge local economy, and it has been excellent to see our efforts supported through this latest approval."

Construction will start on-site to build the homes in early 2022, when a mix of private and affordable apartments and homes will be delivered as part of the long term masterplan.

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The properties have been designed to feature active frontages and views overlooking open landscaped spaces, helping to improve the indoor-outdoor connection and encourage people to have a better relationship with nature. In addition, every new home will feature a range of energy-saving and carbon reduction features, including fabric first designs, air-source heat pumps and photovoltaics.

The master plan has been guided by a strong landscape-led narrative and designed as a place where the city meets the country, offering higher density homes with easy access to the Cambridge countryside. As such, Phase 2 seeks to embrace this interplay between urban and landscape living with exceptional green spaces at the heart of the neighbourhood. These spaces encourage healthy lifestyles with a particular emphasis on creating a range of accessible outdoor areas, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists over cars.

This will include The Titch, a new garden square that will sit at the heart of the community for easy access by residents. It will provide amenity space, play areas with naturalistic play equipment appropriate to the setting, and SuDS features in landscape corridors to enhance the site's biodiversity gain.

Phase 2 has been underpinned by the vision and essential placemaking principles set out in the Design Code, created for the wider master plan. As a result, the material palette has been carefully chosen to comply with the Design Code and features a diverse range of high-quality brickwork in a range of colours and textures. These materials establish an exciting street scene and integrate with the emerging character that has been developed in Phase 1.

Extensive cycle parking provisions have been incorporated for all residents, including the apartment buildings, each with a dedicated secure bike store close to the entrance.

Richard Howe of Hill Marshall LLP added: "Our vision is to deliver a new vibrant and sustainable community at Marleigh, centred around exceptional shared facilities and green spaces. We are pleased to be working with Hill Group once again on this second phase and are very much looking forward to starting work on-site in the New Year."