A major housing milestone was celebrated this week as Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP), a collaboration between Cambridge City Council and The Hill Group, marked the completion of its 1,000th new home.

The event took place at Aylesborough Close in Arbury, where the latest development of 70 low-carbon council homes was officially handed over. This project, which replaces 36 outdated properties, embodies the partnership’s goal of delivering high-quality, sustainable, and affordable housing for the city.

Established in 2017, CIP was created to tackle Cambridge’s pressing housing needs by delivering a mix of council and market sale homes, along with vital community facilities. The Aylesborough Close development represents a key step forward in that mission, built to the standards of the council's Sustainable Housing Design Guide and achieving the new 'CamStandard' – a near-Passivhaus benchmark that prioritizes energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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Supported by funding from Homes England and One Public Estate, the project includes one- to three-bedroom apartments across three low-rise buildings, each with private outdoor space. The scheme also features wheelchair-accessible homes, designed to support residents with mobility needs.

"Reaching our 1000th home is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates what can be done when councils work in true partnership with experienced housing developers, bringing together the best of public and private sector expertise – I was delighted to unveil the plaque to commemorate this achievement," said Cllr Gerri Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing at Cambridge City Council and CIP board member.

"Each home we deliver makes a real difference to people’s lives - providing better quality homes which are warmer in winter and cooler in summer, more affordable to run thanks to lower energy bills, and are part of new, safe places to live with fantastic new community facilities and green spaces.

"Having completed 1,000 new homes across 23 sites, we're now looking ahead to our next milestone: building 1,000 more council homes and 1,000 more market sale homes by 2030. We are in a position to move forward with a number of projects dependent on funding, and we hope that our track record to date will help us to secure the investment needed to reach our next target."

The completion at Aylesborough Close underscores the broader impact of the CIP initiative—not just in expanding the city’s housing supply, but also in promoting sustainability, enhancing biodiversity, improving quality of life, and supporting the local economy through employment and training opportunities.