Caddington Woods (Luton)
Caddington Woods (Luton) Dwellings: 325 homes Size: 27 hectares Location: Luton Status: Complete Client: Redrow Homes CSS Delivered Services: Community Asset Mapping: Research and Consultation Business Planning for Stewardship Bodies Legal – Governance Set up of Stewardship Arrangements Project Management and Oversight Community Centre: Supported design and build, and subsequent management and operation Sustainable Transport: Direct delivery and commissioning of timetabled bus service Financial Management Policy Development, Continuous Improvement and Problem-solving Back to projects page Project Overview Caddington Woods is a 27-hectare Green Belt site, located north of the village of Caddington in Central Bedfordshire, just southwest of Luton town centre. Formerly used by GM Vauxhall to store vehicles, the site had long been inaccessible and underused. In 2013, Redrow Homes, together with JTP, initiated a community-led masterplanning process to transform this redundant industrial land into a thriving new rural settlement. The vision for Caddington Woods was shaped through an extensive co-design process — including a two-day Community Planning Weekend in April 2013 — where local residents, stakeholders and design teams worked together to explore how the site could meet local housing needs while enhancing the surrounding Green Belt landscape. The resulting masterplan delivered 325 new homes, with 30% affordable housing, carefully arranged in two village-style hamlets that respect the rural setting and local settlement pattern. The development features a wide range of house types and tenures to create a balanced and inclusive community. A key element of the vision was to integrate Caddington Woods with the wider area. The scheme upgraded the local public footpath network to link the new homes to neighbouring villages, the guided busway, and existing community infrastructure, encouraging sustainable travel and connectivity. Green space is central to the project — 35 acres of woodland and open amenity land have been retained and enhanced for public use. Stewardship of these spaces is ensured through the Caddington and Slip End (CaSE) Community Trust, established in 2017 by Vauxhall Motors and Redrow Homes. The Trust was endowed with 46 homes within the development, generating long-term revenue to fund: Maintenance of public open spaces and woodlands A bespoke bus service, providing free and discounted travel for residents Community development initiatives and events Management and running of the new community centre and other local facilities Our Role CSS (then named MPCS) played a key role in setting up the Trust’s governance, appointing the housing management team, overseeing the delivery and handover of community infrastructure, and commissioning sustainable local transport services. Caddington Woods has become a model for how community stewardship, resident participation, and thoughtful design can unlock the potential of underused sites to deliver sustainable growth while protecting and enhancing the countryside. Project gallery Find out more about the CASE Community Trust
