Cambourne
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Coordinates: 52°13′N 0°04′W / 52.22°N 0.07°W
| Cambourne | |
 Cambourne
Cambourne shown within Cambridgeshire |
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| OS grid reference | TL318598 |
|---|---|
| Civil parish | Cambourne |
| District | South Cambridgeshire |
| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | CB23 |
| Dialling code | 01954 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | South Cambridgeshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Cambridgeshire | |
Cambourne is a new settlement and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, in the district of South Cambridgeshire. It lies on the A428 road between Cambridge, 9 miles (14 km) to the east, and St Neots and Bedford to the west. It comprises the three villages of Great Cambourne, Lower Cambourne and Upper Cambourne. The area is close to Bourn Airfield. The final population is expected to be around 10,000.[1] Cambourne has recently been used by government departments and in school Geography lessons as it provides a useful case study of designing and building a settlement from scratch.
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[edit] History
As part of plans to build thousands of new homes in the south-east of England, a new settlement on 400 ha of former agricultural land, nine miles west of Cambridge was considered in the late 1980s. In 1994 the S106 agreement from the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 was completed by the developers (McA), the local authority, Cambridgeshire County Council and the developers together with the landholders. The new settlement was to be constructed by three of Britain's leading house builders, Bovis Homes, Bryant Homes and Taylor Wimpey. Planning permission for the development at Monkfield Park was given in November 1996, while construction began in June 1998,[2] on what was previously farmland.
As of 2008[update], work on building Upper Cambourne is under way, with the estimated date of completion being between 2008 and 2014.
The existing planning permission allows 3,300 homes in the development, and planning permission was granted for a further 950 homes on 3rd October 2011.[3]
Cambourne was initially going to be named Monkfield after the name of the original farm, which is commemorated by a Monkfield Lane in Great Cambourne and the village pub, The Monkfield Arms. The name of the community was created from the names of Cambridge, the nearest city, and Bourn, a nearby village.
The area became a civil parish on 1 April 2004.
[edit] Amenities
Some facilities were built in Cambourne as part of the initial development. These include a Morrisons supermarket and petrol station, a medical practice, allotments, a pub, The Monkfield Arms, owned by Pathfinder Pubs and a hotel, The Cambridge Belfry, run by QHotels.
The high street in Cambourne has been developed further with a fish and chip shop, Domino's pizza store, several estate agents, a Ladbrokes bookmaker, a Cambridge Building Society branch, a dry cleaner, a bicycle shop, a coffee shop, a Chinese takeaway, an Indian restaurant and a Lloyds Pharmacy with a Post Office counter.
Cambourne has three primary schools; Monkfield Park Primary School and Jeavons Wood Primary School in Great Cambourne and The Vine Inter-Church Primary School in Upper Cambourne. On 21st June 2011 work began on a new permanent building for the Jeavons Wood Primary School, situated 100 yards from the present temporary site on East Gate, Great Cambourne. All primary schools are in the catchment area for Comberton Village College. On 29 June 2011 Cambridgeshire County Council held a public exhibition of the plans for 'A Secondary School for Cambourne' which is planned to be ready for pupils in September 2013. Cambourne Business Park is located to the north east of Great Cambourne and is the home of South Cambridgeshire District Council, which relocated there in 2004. Environmental facilities include an educational 'Eco Park' which is home to a variety of plant, bird and mammal life and a 'Country Park' covering 80 acres (32 ha), partially opened in 2001, situated between Lower and Great Cambourne.
In 2008/9, the local police force Cambridgeshire Constabulary announced the building of a new police station in the village, complementing the two other rural stations in Histon and Sawston, and two outposts at Melbourn and Linton, in South Cambridgeshire. It was planned to be ready by December 2009, however due to various delays, it partially opened in July 2010. The police station fully opened in September 2010. In May 2011 Cambourne Fire Station was completed on Back Lane, adjacent to the Police Station. There will however be no serving Fire Fighters or Fire Engine until the Papworth Fire Station is no longer deemed necessary. In June 2011 administrative staff and Fire Protection Officers from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service moved into Cambourne Fire Station while the Parkside Fire Station in Cambridge is being redeveloped.
[edit] Sport
Various sports clubs are located in the villages, including football, rugby, tennis, netball and cricket clubs with their own pitches.
Cambourne Cricket Club was formed in 2003 by Jason Clatworthy and Paul Cooke but did not begin playing competitive cricket until 2006 due to delays to the delivery and maturity of playing facilities. The club have enjoyed a sustained period of growth since its inception, culminating in the award of ECB Clubmark status in 2008 which demonstrates proven higher levels of organisation, management, coaching and safety. As of 2010[update] the club have three adult teams playing in the Saturday CCA leagues and two Colts teams playing in the CYCA leagues. Building work on a new pavilion in Lower Cambourne was completed in April 2007 and a second ground in Great Cambourne opened in August 2009 behind the church which has allowed the club to enter a 3rd adult team into the league and presents further opportunity for growth.[4]
The senior football club is Cambourne Rovers FC, whose Saturday side plays in the Cambridgeshire Football League BIS Division 1a. A reserve team has also been entered into Division 5a for the 2008–09 season. CRFC is further represented by a Sunday league team, competing in the Halls of Cambridge Sunday League Division 4B.[5]
The largest junior club is called Cambourne F.C, with one U7 team in playing in the Hunts Mini League, two U8 teams, two U9, and U10 team playing in the Cambs Mini League. The club also has one U12 and a U16 team playing in the Cambs Colts league. Cambourne F.C has also set up a Soccer School for children under the age of 7 years old.[6] Cambourne Exiles Rugby Club was formed in 2005 when some of the villagers decided to form a rugby-related social group. The first game was on 26 November 2005, against Saffron Walden 3. The team have grown to be a competent threes-level team. After the first season of friendly matches, in 2006 the team joined the Greene King Merit League.
A new sports pavillion was completed in September 2011 on the playing fields off Back Lane, Greater Cambourne. This has multi changing facilities for the Football and Rugby pitches as well as a social club bar and maintenance shed.
Cambourne Leisure Centre was officially opened on 4 December 2011 on Back Lane, Great Cambourne by England international footballer Darren Bent, Great British gymnast Beth Tweddle and Great British Paralympic swimmer Harriet Lee. Costing around £2million it has a large sports hall, dance studio, juice bar and large gym. It is run by leisure firm Everyone Active with a profits share going to Cambourne Parish Council.
[edit] Transport
The transport network for the area has been developed further as a result of Cambourne's construction, with the extension of the dual-carriageway section of the A428. This new bypass opened in May 2007 and has moved much traffic from the single carriageway into Cambridge onto the new road. A bus service operates between Cambourne and Cambridge, with a less-frequent service towards St Neots hourly. The nearest railway station is located at St Neots. The speed limit set for the majority of Cambourne was at one point 19 mph, however this was unenforceable because the roads were at this point privately-owned.
[edit] Religion
[edit] Christianity
From an early point in planning the new development of Cambourne, Christian Church leaders expressed an enthusiasm to get involved in helping create the new community. The original Cambourne masterplan included space for a Church located at the east end of the highstreet. This ultimately resulted in the Church of England, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church of England and Wales, and the United Reformed Church working together to form the Local Ecumenical Partnership called Cambourne Church. As the first homes became occupied in late 1999 the church started welcoming new residents through the energetic ministry of Rev Dr Carrie Pemberton. The first full time residential minister Rev. Peter Wood was appointed in early 2001. The waiting room of the doctor's surgery (now the dentists) became the first meeting place. The need however for a place for the church and the community to meet was pressing. Before funds to build the Church Centre were raised an old portacabin classroom was reconditioned by local residents and placed on the corner of Eastgate and Jeavons Lane opposite the planned Church site. It became the first community building available for Cambourne residents, opening as The Ark on Palm Sunday 2002. This quickly became a home to a wide variety of community groups. Phase one of Cambourne Church Centre was completed at a cost of £1.1million in late 2009 and officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester on 13th July 2010. The building has a strikingly tall barn-like design, aiming to be accessible, welcoming and environmentally sustainable. With only the first phase completed the main hall accommodates up to 150 worshippers and is also available for hire for public and private events. As well as the Cambourne Church congregation, Roman Catholic and Indian Orthodox congregations also regularly meet in the church centre.
[edit] Other Faiths
A number of other faiths are also represented within the community. Of particular note is the growing muslim community represented by Cambourne Crescent
[edit] Schools
Cambourne has a very high birth rate compared to many other places in the South Cambridgeshire area. Many schools have been developed in the area, to ensure that younger pupils do not have to take buses to schools in Hardwick and other villages in the local area. The first of the schools to be built was Monkfield Park Primary School, but since then The Vine Inter Church School and the temporary Jeavons Wood Primary School have been developed, with an extra building planned, located nearby the temporary Jeavons Wood Primary School. The schools in the area are in the catchment for Comberton Village College, the most local secondary school. However, a secondary school is planned to be developed in Cambourne following the success of the new £9.5million Sixth-form building at Comberton Village College.
[edit] References
- ^ Cambourne FAQs, accessed 3 November 2007
- ^ South Cambridgeshire District Council A brief planning history of Cambourne, accessed 3 November 2007
- ^ South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambourne, accessed 3 November 2007
- ^ Cambourne Cricket Club website
- ^ Cambourne Rovers FC website
- ^ Cambourne FC website
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cambourne |
