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Plans for redevelopment in north Cambridge: 400 new homes, shops, community facilities and public spaces
We announced in October 2025 our plans for an £80 million investment in north Cambridge.
The plans will see 200+ new council homes and 200+ new market homes built across the Arbury Court site and the nearby Kingsway council estate. The Arbury Court shopping and community facilities will be redeveloped, and improvements made to local public spaces and parks.
The plans have been developed following two programmes of engagement, in spring 2025 and winter 2025, to help create our North Cambridge Framework for Change [PDF, 16.5MB]. The framework – our corporate vision for north Cambridge – sets out our long-term plan for investment in Arbury, King’s Hedges and Chesterton.
Hundreds of people responded to our surveys or took part in engagement events and conversations. This feedback directly influenced the draft Framework for Change, as well as specific plans for redevelopment at Arbury Court and the Kingsway council estate.
Read the spring 2025 engagement report and the winter 2025 engagement report [PDF, 5.5MB].
Latest updates
Arbury Court design
We are working on the design of Arbury Court based on the feedback received during the winter 2025 consultation.
You can help design the park and green spaces for the Arbury Court project, and any additional public space that might be included.
Tell us if you want to join us at a workshop on Tuesday 2 June – there are 40 spaces which we will allocate on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also talk to us at Arbury Carnival on 13 June.
Community panel
We’re really keen to ensure that we hear from groups of people who will be regular users of the new Arbury Court, park and green spaces, and public space. We want to hear from those who are often under-represented.
We will select a group of six to eight residents to form a community panel to take part in three workshops in June, July and September 2026.
If you think you can use your personal experience as a parent of small children, a park user with mobility challenges or with teens in mind, or with another interest in helping to shape this project, we encourage you to put yourself forward for the three enhanced design workshops.
Next steps
We will consult on Arbury Court and Kingsway proposals in summer 2026, before submitting planning applications in the autumn.
Arbury Court
The plan is to take down existing homes and commercial premises at Arbury Court and replace them with over 100 new council homes and over 100 new private homes, new commercial units, new community facilities including the library, and a new park and play area.
The project team is working on the feedback received about the best configuration for the park and play areas, which will form the heart of the new Arbury Court (see below).
The aim is to have public realm closer to the shops and community facilities meaning increased footfall, greater usage and therefore lower risk of antisocial behaviour.
Category A trees will be kept and the majority of other mature trees too.
We will ensure that there is always a park open for residents during this work. The current park will remain open in the first phase, and only when phase 1 is completed and the new park is open will the current park close.
We are asking local people to get involved in helping to design the new park and green spaces, as well as any new public space in the new Arbury Court. Read ‘latest updates’ above to find out more.
New commercial units will be built for existing Arbury Court traders to move into. Traders will only have to move out of the current Arbury Court premises once the new Arbury Court has been built nearby, and the new commercial units are ready to move into.
Map of the proposed Arbury Court development
Kingsway
The plans would also see the Kingsway council estate regenerated, replacing many council homes with 99 new council homes and 98 new private homes, with a better arrangement of open and green spaces.
The proposals also include redeveloping a number of homes on nearby Brackley Close, Rutland Close and Verulam Way.
Map of the proposed Kingsway development
Parks and green spaces
We are planning to enhance parks and green spaces across the north of the city to make them safer and more accessible, increasing biodiversity, and planting trees and shrubs – initially at Arbury Park and the open space Kingsway, with a longer-term focus on Pulley Park, Nun’s Way Rec and Arbury Town Park.
Safer streets
We plan to work with the Highways Authority for safer streets, better crossings and improved travel connections, including the Arbury Court and Kingsway link.
Timeline
- 2026: When a planning application is submitted for Arbury Court, potentially in the autumn, council tenants would be granted highest priority on Home-Link and could start bidding for new council properties. Homeowners can also begin discussions with the council about next steps
- 2027: No residents will need to move before 2027, with many households not needing to move until a later date
- 2030: Arbury Court commercial tenants would only move once the new Arbury Court has been built
