NHBC secures planning for Northstowe multi-skill hub

NHBC has achieved planning permission for its multi-skill apprenticeship training hub in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire.

The facility - delivered in partnership with Keepmoat who will build the hub - is part of NHBC’s planned UK-wide network of 12 multi-skill hubs in which the new homes warranty and insurance provider has invested £100 million.

In total, the hubs will train 3,000 new apprentices each year in the most needed trades, initially bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry. The Northstowe hub will be located on Hampton Road, with Homes England providing land and support.

It is set to train 200 apprentices annually and from diverse backgrounds, all benefitting from immersive, practical learning in real site conditions, NHBC said.

NHBC said the facility reflected its commitment to developing a high-quality, skilled construction workforce to support the government’s target of producing 1.5 million new homes in this parliament. It noted the critical timing of the hub’s development, with industry forecasts suggesting the UK construction sector needs to recruit an extra 251,500 workers by 2028 to meet demand.

The Northstowe facility, at two-thirds the size of a football pitch, is expected to open in early 2026. “It will deliver skilled, site-ready …