Northstowe: £30m for community facilities to be paid

An application for Northstowe's first 1,500 houses was approved in 2012

The developer of the first 1,500 homes in a planned 10,000-home new town in Cambridgeshire is to pay £30m for community facilities.

Gallagher Estates is to provide transport routes, a primary school and provision for sporting activities at Northstowe.

The Section 106 money to be paid by the company is a legal requirement imposed on developers during planning.

Northstowe is planned for land north of Cambridge near Longstanton.

Gallagher's contribution to community facilities has been agreed with both Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Tim Wotherspoon, the district council's cabinet member for Northstowe, said: "Delivering a new town of the highest quality has always been our priority and this agreement will secure the money needed to provide the facilities that are vital to its success."

Plans for the first phase of homes were approved in October 2012.

The developer said, subject to approval of detailed applications, work could begin later this year.

Once complete, Northstowe will be the biggest new town in Britain since Milton Keynes.