An ambitious partnership has been formed between housebuilder The Hill Group and cohousing developer TOWN, intending to integrate innovative cohousing models into the mainstream housing sector.
This strategic joint venture will scale up community-focused residential development and cohousing delivery by redefining how new neighbourhoods are conceived and built. Focusing on resident engagement, custom build, and stewardship, it will, over the next five years, deliver mixed-use, community-focused developments that reflect the evolving needs of residents while championing sustainability and innovation in the built environment.
The joint venture launched with a £50m project at Northstowe, a pioneering new town in South Cambridgeshire. Landowner Homes England selected the partnership to bring forward approximately 150 homes, including two cohousing communities, alongside a mix of private and affordable housing. The joint venture draws from TOWN’s track record of successfully collaborating with public and institutional partners. These include Cambridge City Council, Landsec and The Crown Estate – relationships that have shaped projects such as the regeneration of Wolverton town centre with Milton Keynes City Council, the strategic masterplan for Hartree in Cambridge, and a resident-led neighbourhood at Westwick Row in Hemel Hempstead.
The partnership aims to deliver new homes across London, East of England, South East and South Midlands, regions where both companies already maintain a strong presence. It will work closely with public sector bodies, legacy landowners and forward-thinking partners to deliver places that generate long-term social, environmental and financial value, through a mix of shorter and longer-term projects at different scales.
Why is it an exciting development?
Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, said: “This is an exciting move for Hill as we step into the cohousing sector for the first time. TOWN’s community-first perspective to development presents a fresh and innovative approach that aligns with our commitment to creating sustainable, socially valuable communities. This venture not only expands and diversifies our development pipeline but also reflects our ambition to support the growth of smaller, values-driven developers who are making a real impact in the sector.”
Jonny Anstead, Director of TOWN, added “This partnership enables us to take our proven model of resident-led development to new places and bigger projects, while keeping our commitment to quality and community at the heart of what we do. With Hill, we have a partner who shares our ambition to change how housing gets made in the UK – and the capacity to help us do it.”
The joint venture is structured to allow close coordination of planning, design and delivery from the outset, making sure quality is embedded and maintained through every stage to create better places, faster and with greater long-term value.
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