Proposals for new town go on show

The plans include homes for key workers

Plans for nearly 10,000 new homes on the site of a former airfield in Cambridgeshire have been unveiled.

The new town of Northstowe will be built five miles from the centre Cambridge on the site of the old Oakington barracks.

Joint promoters English Partnerships and Gallagher Estates say the 9,500 houses would help meet a local shortage of new and affordable homes.

Exhibitions of the plans are to be held to enable people to have their say.

Alan Joyner from Gallagher Estates said: "The purpose of these consultations is to put before the public all our draft proposals at this stage in order to give them every opportunity to comment."

The proposals include homes for key workers, first-time buyers and those on low incomes.

There will be large green areas and parks for recreation, sport and leisure, a secondary school and six primary schools.

English Partnerships and Gallagher say they want to preserve the character of the neighbouring villages of Longstanton and Oakington by including green open space between the villages and the new town.

It is hoped house building could begin early in 2008.