Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, celebrated the successful completion of its Knights Park development at Eddington with a special stakeholder event hosted at The Icon, the project's final phase. The event, held on Thursday 18 September, marked the culmination of a landmark project that has spanned more than a decade and transformed the city's north-west into a pioneering new community, recognised nationally and internationally for its sustainability, architectural excellence, and innovation in placemaking.

Guests at the event included civic leaders, representatives from the University of Cambridge, architects, and development partners. His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence, attended as the guest of honour, addressing attendees alongside Andy Hill OBE, founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group.

Speaking at the event, Andy Hill OBE commented: “Today marks the end of construction here at Knights Park. It's a time to look back and reflect on the journey we've been on to get here and now, look to the future. In partnership with the University of Cambridge, we've created a new place where families have set down roots, new friendships have blossomed and a legacy will endure. Together, we've not just built homes, we've created a sustainable new neighbourhood with all the ingredients to foster a healthy and connected community, and that is something we can all be proud of.”

His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence, commented: “It is clear to see the impressive architectural design, master planning and high-quality construction that has culminated in this impressive community. I would like to congratulate The Hill Group, and the many teams involved in creating this outstanding new district and wish every happiness and success to the residents and visitors who have the pleasure of living, working and learning here.”

Eddington is the University of Cambridge's ambitious initiative to create a sustainable new district for the city. Knights Park has been central to this vision, comprising 563 new homes in total, along with a wide range of community facilities that contribute to this thriving new neighbourhood - an Ofsted-rated Outstanding University of Cambridge Primary School, Eddington Nursery, Storey's Field Centre, a Sainsbury's supermarket, hotels, shops, cafés, and communal spaces. Knights Park also sits amongst more than 50 hectares of open space and sports facilities, and features dedicated cycling and pedestrian routes that connect the new community to Cambridge city centre through active and sustainable methods of travel.

The development has already been widely celebrated, winning a Housing Design Award for being the UK's most sustainable residential development, a RIBA Award for architecture, and the Evening Standard New Homes Eco-Living Award, among many other accolades. Judges have highlighted Knights Park as an exemplar of sustainable urban design, praised for its innovative energy centre, large-scale rainwater harvesting and sustainable drainage system, extensive green infrastructure, and carefully considered architecture.

The completion of Knights Park reinforces Hill's long-standing commitment to Cambridge, where the company has been delivering new homes and communities for over 25 years. Current projects include Marleigh Park on the eastern edge of the city, a major new neighbourhood of nearly 1,400 homes with its own school, nursery, green spaces and amenities, as well as regeneration projects through the Cambridge Investment Partnership, which has delivered more than 1,000 new affordable and council homes across the city.

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About The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder* and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise.

In its 26th year, this family-run company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities. 

Employing over 950 people, the company operates from five strategically located regional offices including Bristol and Abingdon to help facilitate growth in the South West and the Midlands, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex. 

Hill completed more than 2,800 homes in the last financial year and has a development pipeline of over 32,000 homes, including 10,200 with planning consent. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients. 

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed title of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2023. Most recently in 2024, Millside Grange in Croxley Green won The Standard's Homes & Property Award for Best Commuter Home.

Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past eight years. Hill is a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) and follows the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC), a new industry standard to ensure high-quality homes and an exceptional customer experience. With a score of 4.8 out of 5, Hill is also ranked as the number one housebuilder on Trustpilot.

In addition, Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

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For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

*The Hill Group was listed within the top 10 of the Top 150 UK Contractors and Housebuilders published by Building.co.uk in December 2024