Thousands of residents in Britain’s largest new town still waiting for GP, dentist and shop eight years on – but they can buy bubble tea.
Around 1,700 homes have been built at Northstowe, ten miles north of Cambridge, since construction work started in 2017.
The 540 hectares sight is billed to have 10,000 homes with a total population of 25k – the biggest since Milton Keynes, Bucks., was built in 1967.
However eight years have passed since residents moved in and many say basic amenities, which they were promised, have not been built.
Northstowe lacks a shop, GP surgery, dentist or public toilets – but is home to two schools and a pre-fab community centre.
Some locals have taken the blackspot in their stride and jumped at the opportunity to provide the community with their own businesses – run out of their own homes.
Elkie Chan and Dennis Wong run Bubble Bliss, a bubble tea company, from their three-bedroom home on Stirling Road.
The couple moved to Northstowe in three years and said they wanted to offer something ‘different’ because locals have ‘nothing here’.
Elkie Chan and Dennis Wong (above) run Bubble Bliss, a bubble tea company, from their three-bedroom home on Stirling Road
Around 1,700 homes have been built at Northstowe, ten miles north of Cambridge , since construction work started in 2017
Northstowe lacks a shop, GP surgery, dentist or public toilets – but is home to two schools and a pre-fab community centre.
Mum-of-three Elkie, who also has a stall at Cambridge market, said: ‘You have to drive out if you want to go to the shop or get something to eat.
‘We have our ups and downs but some days we sell everything out. When people come out of the schools, they stop by.
‘We wanted a bit of extra money and we’d always wanted to sell our bubble tea, waffles and matcha. It’s different and the community doesn’t have anything here.’
Elkie, originally from Hong Kong, joked: ‘The community have accepted us as a business. Maybe because they didn’t have a choice.’
Bubble Bliss is not the only home-run business in Northstowe – with a bakery and an Indian takeaway also in the area.
But while Elkie and Dennis’s business is thriving, she said the area around her £395,000 home let her down.
She added: ‘We pay around £100 to £200 for the green spaces and verges to be maintained. But they’re not cut regularly and it looks overgrown, like a jungle.
‘We pay our council tax on top of that. If we’re paying for that service, we have a right to have it cut.’
Residents had previously slated the area for being a ‘ghost town’ and ‘soulless’ – with more houses being built in phases.
A sports pavilion has now opened, a temporary town centre is due to be built for 2026 and the area hosts play parks and a lake.
The current temporary community centre, which opened in 2023, features a volunteer-run cafe, room to access NHS services and music classes.
Dennis Wong moved to Northstowe three years ago and said he wanted to offer something ‘different’ because locals have ‘nothing here’
Julie Purse, who has lived in Northstowe since 2017, said the developers ‘couldn’t give two hoots’
Construction traffic continues to move along residential streets with cars parked on proposed bike lanes which have not yet opened
Julie Purse, who has lived in Northstowe since 2017, said the developers ‘couldn’t give two hoots’.
The former teacher said: ‘I wouldn’t have chosen to live here if I knew then what I know now. [Northstowe] doesn’t have a soul.’
Julie said GP services in neighbouring villages were stretched and she knew of people who had moved out – partly because of the lack of amenities.
She added: ‘We want a shop, a dentist and a GP. Eight years down the line and we’ve got nothing. The developers couldn’t give two hoots. It’s a shame because it could be so good.’
Tina Flack, 68, has lived in Northstowe for two-and-a-half years and said transport links were ‘good’.
She said: ‘The guided busway and the number five bus to Tesco is really helpful. But I don’t drive so if I need to get to the doctors in Willingham, I have to rely on my husband when he’s finished work.
‘There are no shops and no doctors. I used to bike but I lost my confidence on the busy roads. Most of my neighbours are first-time buyers, they’re very young.
‘It does feel a bit more dangerous now. My neighbour had an attempted car theft when they were away. But it’s very good for dog walking with the lake.’
Another resident, who did not want to be named, added: ‘With a new development, it’s exactly what you’d expect.
‘I moved here due to the investment with the Cambridge area, especially the Cambridge-Oxford corridor. You have to give it time. It all depends on people’s expectations. I understand about not having a GP – but I’m not fussed.’
Construction traffic continues to move along residential streets with cars parked on proposed bike lanes which have not yet opened.
Another local said: ‘People want to be where things are going on. I wouldn’t have moved here if I’d known it’d be like this eight years down the line. I want to move away.’
Bubble Bliss is not the only home-run business in Northstowe – with a bakery and an Indian takeaway also in the area.
Residents had previously slated the area for being a ‘ghost town’ and ‘soulless’ – with more houses being built in phases.
A Homes England spokesperson said: ‘Northstowe is one of Homes England’s most significant projects and is already home to excellent schools, generous open spaces, sports facilities, scenic lakes, and a growing range of community amenities.
‘We are responsible for phase two and three of the masterplan and are currently overseeing the construction of a commercial unit at Stirling Fields and a playground that will include equipment suitable for pre-school age children.
‘We are also working with South Cambridgeshire District Council who are responsible for delivering the Town Hub building which will include Northstowe’s healthcare facilities.
‘Despite the town being relatively new and still in its early development stages, a rich and vibrant community is flourishing.
‘Feedback from residents is that they enjoy living here and take advantage of the wide range of facilities they have access to and understand there is much more to come.’
Northstowe Town Council was contacted for comment.
