A groundbreaking deal has been signed which will lead to thousands of high-quality affordable homes being built in new planned communities in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire Partnerships Limited (CPL) - a partnership of five housing associations led by bpha - has been selected to provide more than 3,000 affordable homes in the county over a five year period.

It is the first time that the Government agency, the Housing Corporation, has chosen a single partnership to provide all the affordable housing at large-scale development sites in one county and is designed to help tackle the growing housing crisis in Cambridgeshire.

bpha and fellow members of the partnership, Aldwyck Housing Association, King Street Housing Society, The Papworth Trust and Hundred Houses Society, will now work together  to provide the affordable homes at three key sites.

These are:

• Northstowe - the planned new town of up to 10,000 homes planned north west of Cambridge city
• Southern Fringe - a development of 4,000 new homes on land south, west and east of Trumpington and adjoining Addenbrookes Hospital
• The North West Cambridge site - a development of around 1,800 homes between Histon Road and Huntingdon Road.

John Cross, chief executive of bpha, which is the lead partner in CPL, said: "We are delighted to have been appointed. The lack of sufficient affordable housing in and around Cambridge and throughout the county is causing huge problems for local people, many of whom are desperate to have a home of their own.

"Average house prices in Cambridge are now eight times the average wage, pushing the prospects of home ownership out of reach for many of these households. The homes we will be building at these key sites will be offered at affordable rents and through shared ownership schemes to help a wide range of people in housing need.

 "This project is a real turning point because for the first time, there will be a single partnership working with developers on major sites. The way the project is set up, we will receive funding over a much longer period of time which will give much greater certainty and ensure continuity."

bpha is already developing affordable housing at a number of sites in Cambridgeshire. These include Arbury Park, the 900-home development near Cambridge city, where its work to help create a sense of community spirit won a national award earlier this year. It also leads the Key Communities development partnership, whose members include CPL partners, King Street and Papworth.

John Cross said that Cambridgeshire Partnerships would be working closely with the developers, local councils, community groups and residents in planning the affordable housing and other services.

"These sites are being carefully planned as real communities, with all the facilities and services people would expect to see in an established town or large village.

"The members of the partnership have an excellent range of expertise, not only in providing quality housing but in helping to create new communities where everyone is proud to live," he said.

CPL was selected from a shortlist of housing partnerships by a panel including representatives from the HCA, English Partnerships, Cambridgeshire Horizons, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and the landowners/developers of the three schemes.

The selection forms part of the ‘Cambridge Challenge' - a pilot scheme which will test the benefits of appointing a single partner to provide affordable housing at the earliest stage of developing new communities.

Margaret Allen, HCA Field Director (Central) said, "This announcement marks the start of an exciting time for affordable housing in Cambridge. Through partnership we feel confident that this approach offers all involved bodies the opportunity to gain from each others skills and experiences.

"The selection of CPL is the start of a process, which will see key stakeholders working together towards the successful delivery of homes and sustainable new communities."

John Lewis, regional director for English Partnerships, said, "We are confident that CPL will deliver high quality homes which will form a key part of these three new communities. By working together we will ensure that the homes created will not only be where people can afford to live but want to live."