The Hill Group has joined forces with TOWN, a leading cohousing developer, in a strategic joint venture to scale up the delivery of community-focused residential development and cohousing.
Hill says that the partnership signals a major step towards integrating cohousing models into the mainstream housing sector, combining its delivery expertise with TOWN’s pioneering approach to community-oriented development.
Together, Hill and TOWN say they are committed to redefining how new neighbourhoods are conceived and built, with a particular focus on resident engagement, custom building and stewardship. Over the next five years, the joint venture will focus on delivering mixed-use, community-focused developments that reflect the evolving needs of residents while championing sustainability and innovation in the built environment.
Cohousing actively cultivates community through the provision of shared spaces and spaces and amenities that are jointly owned and managed by residents. With TOWN’s approach, future residents will play a significant role in the design process, working alongside to help shape their homes and neighbourhoods.
The JV launches with a £50million project at Northstowe, a new town in South Cambridgeshire. Landowner Homes England has selected the partnership to bring forward approximately 150 homes, including two cohousing communities, alongside a mix of private and affordable housing. The JV follows TOWN’s track record of successful collaboration with public and institutional partners, including 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.
TOWN has begun inviting future residents interested in cohousing at Northstowe to help design the community’s homes and shared spaces – including gardens, play areas and a common house for shared meals and community activities – with a planning application expected to be submitted this summer.
The partnership will build on the success of TOWN’s innovative Marmalade Lane cohousing community in Cambridge, which has become a national exemplar of best practices in community-oriented development. Completed in 2019, Marmalade Lane is home to 100 adults and children and maintains a waiting list of over 500 households. It has received more than ten national awards for architecture, planning, placemaking and social value and is widely featured in national policy and best practice guidance. Nearby, The Hill Group has delivered a 100% affordable housing development at Orchard Park in partnership with Cambridge City Council.
The new joint venture 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.
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.”
