Ambitions to build 1,300 council homes in Cambridge have been proposed by the city council, subject to government funding.
The vision – with a target date of 2036 – was unveiled in Cambridge City Council’s latest Budget Setting Report for 2026-27, published in late January.
The homes would be delivered through a strategic partnership with the government’s Homes England Housing and Regeneration Agency. An application for the partnership is yet to be submitted however, with bidding set to open in February.
Any partnership would require the local authority to deliver a minimum of 800 homes by March 31 2036, with an initial funding cap of £250m.
The council’s proposals also include plans to manage, improve and maintain its existing stock of more than 7,500 council homes.
The total capital investment in the council’s Housing Revenue Account over the next 10 years is expected to reach £867.2m, £584m of which would go towards building new homes.
Further funding outside the proposed strategic partnership with Homes England would be sourced via other grants and contributions, including Section 106 monies and receipts from Right to Buy sales.
The council’s 30-year Business Plan also assumes new borrowing of up to £478m over the next 10 years, which would primarily support the £584m needed to finance new housing.
Cllr Gerri Bird, Cabinet Member for Housing at Cambridge City Council, said: “Despite significant financial challenges as a result of increasing regulation, cost inflation and high interest rates, the council remains ambitious and committed to investing in our existing council homes so that all tenants can benefit from improvements – and in helping tackling the wider housing crisis by building new, modern energy-efficient council homes and homes for private sale.”
A partnership between Cambridge City Council and housebuilder The Hill Group to deliver new council homes – the Cambridge Investment Partnership – recently celebrated the completion of its 1,000th home at Aylesborough Court.
Council developments in the pipeline include plans to build 72 council homes at Hanover and Princess Courts and a further 78 in Ekin Road. Planning applications for both are pending consideration.
The full budget proposals are set to be considered at a meeting of the council on Thursday, February 26.
