Jas Bhalla Works acted on behalf of a major landowner to promote development at Tempsford Airfield in 2018; some seven years before the site was identified as a suitable location for a New Town as part of the incoming Labour administration’s proposals to build 1.5 million new homes.

We tested various development scenarios to prepare a vision making the case for anew ‘Market Town’ north of Sandy, which would serve both local housing needs and national economic ambitions.

Perfectly positioned as a regional economic catalyst between Oxford and Cambridge, we envision a new town benefitting from its unique position on the intersection of new roads and rail infrastructure.

Our masterplan concept celebrates key elements of Tempford’s historic military airfield by concentrating new uses around them and giving them a spatial focus, reinterpreting the area’s unique history.  Key buildings and historic movement routes are retained, as runway alignments become incorporated into new streets and open spaces calibrated to respond to local flooding constraints.

We identified potential for a new railway station at the intersection of the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail, direct access to the A428 and a new road crossing the railways. Testing various densities and phasing scenarios, we explored how new homes could be built alongside significant infrastructure investment, ensuring this new place feels cohesive from the earliest possible stage.  

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