The Land Trust teams up with award winning house builder, Hill and Marshall, to manage the public open spaces at Marleigh

National land management charity, the Land Trust, has teamed up with award winning house builder, Hill and Marshall, to manage the public open spaces at Marleigh, a residential development at the heart of Cambridge, which will have 1,300 homes on completion.

The new residents at Marleigh will benefit from 57 acres of public open space, the equivalent to approximately 44 football pitches, which have been designed by landscape architect Robert Myers. The role of the Land Trust will be to ensure these grounds and woodland areas are maintained and protected for residents and visitors for years to come.

The Trust will lead on community engagement activities and supporting resident groups and associations and will have a member of their Estates Team based at the development to help with any resident queries.

Land Trust Chief Executive, Euan Hall, said:

“We recognise that well managed green space is what helps create healthy resilient communities. We are really looking forward to beginning our work at Marleigh and we are excited about the opportunity to engage with the new residents.

“Working in partnership with Hill and Marshall we’ll be delivering public open spaces that can be used for a variety of different purposes and deliver significant economic and social value in the process, improving physical and mental wellbeing, creating jobs and education opportunities, and boosting the local economy.”

Situated less than a 15-minute cycle from Cambridge City Centre, the new community at Marleigh has been designed by architects Pollard Thomas Edwards to encourage neighbourliness and interaction.

This includes the creation of The Hangar, a hub located in the market square, which will house a community centre, café, office space, and a 52-place nursery. These amenities, alongside a brand-new primary school for more than 400 children, are expected to open in Summer 2022. There are also plans for retail space, sports pitches and allotments to sit alongside the new homes on this 160-acre new community.

Marleigh is well connected for work and pleasure, situated just three miles from Cambridge City Centre and is easily accessible by both cycling and walking trails.

Andy Hill, Chief Executive of Hill Group, said:

“When creating a new community it is imperative that we consider future residents’ happiness and wellbeing, which is why we have placed great importance on ensuring Marleigh sparks social interaction and neighbourliness.

“Not only are we creating a community hub around the market square, we’re also working with Matthew Lane Sanderson, a sculptor and artist, to produce unique and inspiring pieces of artwork, and partnering with the Land Trust to ensure the maintenance of this 160-acre site.

“We are delighted to be working with the Land Trust, on this exciting development. This partnership will also play a key role in promoting community events and resident groups, helping us ensure it’s a neighbourhood for all to love and enjoy.”

Since 2016 the Land Trust has been managing public open space within residential developments for the benefits of over 4,500 homeowners.

The Trust has been growing this area of its operations rapidly over the last four years, and now has responsibility for the management of green space on nine sites, with a development pipeline of over 20,000 new homes to come under management in the coming years.

In 2019-20 for the first time, the Trust analysed the economic and social value created on its service charge sites, with the model showing nearly £2.5 million was created from the management of the green spaces around the Trust’s service charge sites. This figure rises to over £16 million when the uplift in property prices is taken in to consideration.