The Northstowe Church Network, part of the United Reformed Church Eastern Synod, working in close collaboration with Northstowe Muslims, has made a bid to South Cambridgeshire District Council for the lease of the first designated Faith and Community Land site in Northstowe.
Northstowe is a new town in Cambridgeshire forecast to have 24,400 residents in 10,000 homes. It’s the UK’s largest since the development of Milton Keynes in the 1960s. The town was completed in 2017.
The Faith and Community Land site is the first of four set aside to help shape the civic and spiritual life of the new town. Rooted in seven years of neighbourhood-level listening and collaboration, the proposal aims to create an inclusive, environmentally sustainable space shaped with the community and for them – welcoming people of all faiths and none.
Plans include facilities for town-wide use, alongside a chapel by the lake and an Islamic prayer and education room, reflecting a rare and intentional approach to shared sacred and community space.
The Revd Dr Beth Cope, Pioneer Minister for Northstowe, said: “Since moving in as some of the first residents of this new town, we have been ‘praying, exploring and sharing’ here. We believe this is the moment to deepen collaboration and develop a home for the community and Christian worship — a place of welcome that gives glory to God and helps people of all backgrounds put down roots.”
The vision extends far beyond a single building. Set beside Bug Hunter Waters, the proposed site would offer a multi-use, multi-generational place of welcome where neighbours can gather, rest, create, and celebrate. Plans include a café, exhibition space, and flexible rooms for community use — facilities not currently available elsewhere in the town.
At the heart of the site, the chapel by the lake would host Christian worship across traditions, as well as music, arts, and quiet reflection. As a future parish centre of worship, it would also allow residents to marry and hold Christian funerals locally for the first time.
The design reflects extensive consultation, including the voices and imagination of local children and young people. Planting and architecture are carefully woven together to create spaces of calm, connection, and belonging.
Jawad Nawash, chair of Northstowe Muslims, said: “Our children will grow up here. They deserve a town that teaches friendship across difference.”
A decision on the bid is expected in the spring.