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Plans for more than 1,600 new homes could present a “significant opportunity” to extend a Cambridgeshire city, according to an investment group. The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England's investment portfolio, has submitted plans for up to 1,607 new homes in Ely.

The plans are for land at High Flyer Farm on the north of Apollo Chase. They also propose an extension to Ely Country Park, a community allotment/orchard, and an extension to the Chesttisham Business Park. The site covers 85.21 hectares.

The applicant said: “The redevelopment of the site will contribute towards meeting the council’s housing requirements within the planned growth strategy for Ely, delivering a range of homes including affordable housing to meet local needs, alongside significant publicly accessible open space and landscape enhancement.”

They added that the plans would aim to create an “attractive, distinctive and inclusive new neighbourhood of exemplary design quality”.

The housing development is also seen as a “significant opportunity” to extend Ely to the north. The applicant added: “The development at Highflyer Farm North represents the final jigsaw piece in completing the planned northern growth of Ely to create a sustainable and well connected new neighbourhood on the northern edge of Ely.”

Extending Ely Country Park as part of the plans will support the applicant’s aim for around 45 per cent of the site to be accessible open space. The extension of Chettisham Business Park aims to “support local jobs and a balanced mixed-use extension”.

The plans form part of the larger Ely1 allocation in the East Cambridgeshire District Council Local Plan for 2015. This covers around 210 hectares of land and plans for up to 3,000 homes.

The applicant also proposes to build two new primary schools and two local centres to “incorporate retail and community facilities”.