road linking the town to the upgraded A14 and other essential infrastructure to allow more homes to be built. In November 2018 the first phase of the secondary school was started and it was completed to welcome children for the academic year 2019-20. Northstowe Secondary College is operated by the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust. In the spring of 2019 Homes England built their new regional office at Northstowe, designed and built off site using Modern Methods of Construction to help pioneer new techniques in the construction sector. In February 2020 a planning application was submitted to build a new heritage centre adjacent to the Homes England offices to showcase the historical artefacts found on site and more importantly during the construction of the nearby upgraded A14. As of May 2020 approximately 550 homes in Northstowe were occupied, with the Bloor Homes site completed and 5 active housebuilding sites: Bovis Homes with some marketed and sold by Domovo Homes (a subsidy of bpha), Linden Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes as both Barratt and David Wilson Homes brands. Playing fields, allotments, and public spaces were under development. In 2020 Urban Splash in partnership with the Japanese construction company Sekesui are starting to build the first homes in phase 2 – 406 homes built using innovative modern methods of construction. In 2020 Homes England submitted a Town Centre Strategy, setting out the principles for a new town centre to be developed for the town. The Strategy proposes a shift away from a reliance on retail on its high street, and instead focuses on the potential of creative industries, leisure, education, high-quality food and small-scale manufacturing. Public transport links Northstowe is connected to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway at Longstanton Park & Ride, with a further busway loop through the town under construction. See also Code for Sustainable Homes Sustainable Communities Plan Millennium Communities Programme New towns in the United Kingdom Energy efficiency in British housing Low-energy building Ecocities References External links Northstowe official site Photos of the Northstowe Lake In the media 26 June 2008, Cambridge Evening News: Students unveil their vision for Northstowe 16 April 2008, The Guardian, Clash over Cambridgeshire green town plans 13 May 2007, BBC: Brown outlines 'eco towns' plan 7 March 2007, Government News Network: New Eco-Towns could help tackle climate change 14 July 2005, BBC: Plan for new town moves forward Low-energy building in the United Kingdom