Resi partner picked for £750m Cambridge North site

Developer Bloc has won a bid to deliver the residential phase of the £750m Cambridge North masterplan, a mixed-use neighbourhood being brought forward by The Chesterton Partnership. The scheme includes 425 homes on the site of former derelict railway sidings. The partnership, comprising Network Rail, DB Cargo and Brookgate, secured outline planning permission for the homes and 578,000 sq ft of lab and office space last year.  The agreement will see Network Rail’s newly created property company, which will launch later this year, join forces with Bloc to create an entity called Blocwork. The JV will then work on detailed residential plans with aims to deliver a low-car neighbourhood through improvements to cycleways, provision of public transport links and new green space. Sven Topel, chief executive at Brookgate, said: “Alongside our partners, we look forward to working with Network Rail Property and Bloc as they partner to deliver homes in a sustainable location that supports the continued growth of Cambridge.” Robin Dobson, group property director at Network Rail, said: “This is an opportunity to unlock disused railway land and create a new residential quarter adjacent to Cambridge North station. As the largest owner of brownfield land in Great Britain, we are able to unlock strategically important sites such as this as we continue to play a central role in delivering sustainable housing to drive future growth.” Image © Brookgate