A documentary film made to illuminate and celebrate the blossoming community in one of Britain’s newest towns, has been launched by the town’s master developer, Homes England, in collaboration with local community group, Northstowe Arts and filmmaker Paper Films.
Northstowe is located on brownfield land just eight miles northwest of Cambridge and is currently home to around 3,000 people and approximately 1,400 homes. Over the next two decades, Northstowe will become home to a new community of around 25,000 people.
The new film is the centrepiece of the Northstowe Neighbours campaign and follows the stories of some of the diverse families and individuals who have made the town their home in its first phases. The film was premiered at a recent community screening in Northstowe.
Already boasting its own primary, secondary, and area special schools. a sports pavilion, community allotments, a park & ride facility, and a community centre, the town has been scrutinised and faced media headlines highlighting a lack of GP and retail facilities. Residents currently access these services in surrounding villages including the adjoining village of Longstanton pending delivery of Northstowe town centre which will includes space for a range of shops, health services and other facilities.
The film was made entirely in Northstowe and, along with its companion residents’ survey, the campaign explores the different motivations people have in moving to the town and their experiences of what they have found when they arrived and put down roots.
Full findings from the baseline report, which was designed around the Quality-of-Life Framework, will be released in due course but among the headline findings were:
- 57 per cent reported that housing provision met their current and future needs
- 51 per cent said their access to outdoor green space had improved
“The survey has provided us with a detailed baseline of residents’ feelings about their quality of life living in the town’s early phases,” explains Dean Harris, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England, which is responsible for the delivery of future phases of the town.
“There were some surprising and some anticipated findings, but this is the first time residents have been surveyed in this way and it was a very worthwhile exercise. We will present the findings back to residents and other stakeholders before publishing them in full on the town website,” Dean added.
The Neighbours film was created by placemaking specialists, Paper Films, whose team made the film over March and April of 2024. With no actors, the film offers a snapshot in time of some of the people who are helping to create community in the town. Plans to screen the film around the town are underway, and it can be viewed on the Northstowe website and social media channels.
Dean Harris, who features in the film, explains the reasoning behind the campaign: “Northstowe has some great strengths but, as I point out in the film, it is still very much in its first flourishes. We wanted to do something creative to mark this moment in time in the town while it is still relatively small and early in its community journey. We wanted to show how the community is growing, led by the people who are making it their home.
“Communities are nothing without people. They are not made by buildings, roads, or bike lanes. As important as all that infrastructure is, community is made by people and it’s our job to help create the fabric upon which that community can grow.
“Hundreds of new people will set up home at Northstowe in the next few years and will become part of this emerging community. Some will already know the area, but for those who don’t, this project will demonstrate to them the richness, spirit, heart and passion already growing here.”
Film director, Daniel Kennedy from Paper Films, added: “Every community we work in provides us with a privileged opportunity to tell the real stories of the people we find. We approach these productions with no agenda and are led by people we find and the stories they tell.
“In our experience, if you look for richness and community spirit, you find it and Northstowe was no exception. We were struck with the get up and go in the town and the overall impression we were left with was that there are many, many people who care deeply about the town’s future.”
The film is available to view on the Northstowe.com website.
