Policy H/BR: Build to rent homes

1. Proposals for Build to Rent housing will be approved where they meet the following criteria: 

  a. Schemes should be designed so that their scale and location does not dominate the surrounding area or the overall scheme if part of a wider multi-tenure proposal, 

  b. The homes are held as Build to Rent under a covenant of at least 15 years, 

  c. The development offers tenancies of at least 3 years available to all tenants (subject to any future legislative changes), and 

  d. The development will be professionally managed by a single management operator and have an agreed Management Plan. 

National planning policy requires the size, type and tenure of homes needed for different groups in the community, including those who rent their homes, to be assessed and that the results of that assessment be reflected in planning policies. Build to Rent homes can respond to a need, by providing quality homes for those who wish to rent, which adds to the flexibility of the local housing market to respond to demand. There is evidence of local need for this type of housing, and therefore the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

needs to be clear how any proposals for these types of development will be considered. 

National planning guidance states that 20% is generally a suitable benchmark for the level of Affordable Private Rent homes to be provided in any Build to Rent scheme. It therefore follows that Build to Rent developments may not achieve the 40% affordable homes as required on other major residential developments. Given this and that Build to Rent developments will only provide one tenure of affordable housing, the proposed policy direction does not change the overall requirement for 40% affordable housing on major multi-tenure developments, as set out in Policy H/AH: Affordable housing. It is also appropriate to limit the proportion of Build to Rent homes within large new developments in order to secure the provision of a range of affordable housing tenures to meet identified need and provide mixed and balanced communities. Any such limits would still need to enable the resulting number of Build to Rent homes to be sufficient to be delivered and managed viably. 

Based on evidence of high levels of affordable housing need, the Councils will aim wherever possible to secure more than 20% of the homes on any Build to Rent scheme to be provided as Affordable Private Rent homes, looking in particular for a balance between the percentage of Affordable Private Rent homes which can be achieved and the potential rental affordability of those homes and a balance between Affordable Private Rent and other affordable tenures on larger multi-tenure developments. 

Policy H/HM: Housing Mix provides a starting point for considering the appropriate housing mix of Build to Rent developments. However, it is acknowledged that Build to Rent is a relatively new type of housing and the profile of occupants may differ from other forms of housing. Where proposals are supported by compelling evidence an alternative housing mix will be acceptable. 

Management of Build to Rent developments by a single management operator, with an appropriate level of on-site daily management, will minimise any community risks arising from the development, and ensure that schemes are well-integrated into the community. A Management Plan showing how the whole development will be managed and maintained must be produced and submitted with the planning application, and the agreed Management Plan should be secured through a Section 106 agreement. The Management Plan should include detailed information on long term management and maintenance arrangements, and outline the measures that will be in place to manage any issues arising that could impact on amenity in the surrounding area. 

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Lcal Plan: Homes Topic Paper (2025)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Housing Strategy 2024-2029: Homes for Our Future and Annexes 1-8
• Housing Needs of Specific Groups in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire (2025)
• Build to Rent Market in

  The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  and West Suffolk (Savills, June 2020)
• Build to Rent Market Srategic Overview and Summary of Site-Specific Appraisals (Arc4, March 2021)
• North East Cambridge Market Demand Appraisal Build to Rent (Arc4, March 2021)
• Northstowe Market Demand Appraisal Build to Rent (Arc4, march 2021)
• Bourn Airfield New Village Market Demand Appraisal Build to Rent (Arc4, March 2021)

We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

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All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.