This Land™ held an event at Soham Comrades Club in Soham, Cambridgeshire on the 31st Aug 2022. The event was attended by Soham Town Council Members and the public. This Land shared its proposed plans for Soham Eastern Gateway. The proposals include a new neighbourhood of 540 homes, public open spaces, new and improved infrastructure, anchored by community facilities and land for a new medical centre.
Head of Development at This Land, Khalid Shaban, said: “It was an excellent opportunity to talk to everyone about our proposed plans and answer questions. As community-minded developers, we recognise the importance of working with the local community to ensure our projects support and meet their growing needs. As a result, our proposal dedicates 2.23 acres of land for the construction of a new medical centre which is almost double the amount of land required by the East Cambridge Local Plan. The medical centre will still be accessible from the town. The provision of a new pumping station and additional onsite storage for foul water forms a key part of the Anglian Water strategy to deal with existing issues within the area.
“Our proposal includes a new neighbourhood centre offering a shop and a cafe, office working spaces, a pre-school nursery and more than 2.5kms of improved public rights of way including walkways and cycleways linking the new development to the town. By providing more than 16.14 acres of new public open space including 5 dedicated play areas, 6 informal play spaces and the creation of a green corridor between Qua Fen Common and East Fen Common. It will help us meet the government’s 10% biodiversity net gain target for new developments. We believe that our unique approach helps to create developments that have a positive impact and enhances people’s lives
“We are committed to developing visually striking schemes which are sustainable and offer energy efficiency and thermal comfort for occupants, our homes will not rely on fossil fuel for their energy consumption,” explains Khalid. “The development is designed to be sympathetic to its surroundings and energise the town, which is why we have also set aside 5% of the plots for self-builds to support aspiring residents to create their own dream home with us.”
The proposal will also create employment, with more than 127 new jobs supported on site through non-residential uses, more than 159 jobs supported in the construction works and an estimated £1.8m per year spend in the local economy by new residents. We will be providing financial contributions to the local highway network and education facilities. Direct contributions to the upkeep of the common will also be made.
If you have any questions about the development, please email community@this-land.co.uk or alternatively you can view a video of the proposal here.
If you were unable to attend the event, you can view the information boards by clicking here
A Soham Eastern Gateway video playlist is available here – consisting of interviews with Khalid Shaban Head of Development.