The Marleigh development in Cambridge has been carefully designed with sustainability and environmental impact at its heart, with many green elements and features that perhaps aren’t obvious at first glance, so let’s find out more about the development…
Marleigh is a joint venture between Marshall and Hill, constructing 1,300 new homes and facilities on the 160 acres of land north of Newmarket Road. The extensive plans include a public square, nursery, primary school, community centre, playing fields, sports pitches, allotments, retail and more to create an impressive new community in the East of Cambridge.
Work began back in January 2019 with Phase 1 – 500 homes, a primary school and nursery. Residents moved into the first homes in 2020 and just earlier this month a ground-breaking ceremony was held as work commenced on Phase 2, which includes a further 421 new homes.
The site boasts open, green spaces that are the equivalent size of approximately 44 football pitches, designed by landscape architect Robert Myers. To ensure these grounds and woodland walks are maintained and protected for residents and visitors for years to come, Land Trust, a national land management charity dedicated to protecting over 70 sites across the UK will manage these spaces.
Throughout the development, priority is given to pedestrian and cycle movement over the car, with lots of cycleways and pedestrian walkways – promoting more environmentally friendly travel where possible. Cycle parking has also been given careful consideration, with one cycle parking space allocated per bedroom across the development.
A completely car-free ‘play street’ is also included in plans for the town, with soft landscaping, seating and street furniture to encourage it to be used by children and adults alike.
When it comes to the homes, the mix of modern apartments and houses have been designed for sustainable living and feature a range of energy-saving and carbon reduction features. Each of the houses include photovoltaic (solar) roof panels, underfloor heating and electric car charging points. Energy-efficient kitchen appliances, double-glazed windows and high levels of insulation are all standard features, resulting in low-energy homes which are better for owners and the environment.
Read more about Marshall Group Property and our Marleigh Development here.