Capital & Centric is a property developer specialising in regeneration schemes. The company focuses on economic and housing-led regeneration that can create new homes, jobs and other benefits for local communities.
In July 2025, Huntingdonshire District Council approved an initial partnership with Capital & Centric to explore potential regeneration opportunities within Huntingdon, St Neots and St Ives. The purpose was to develop and assess ideas that could support economic growth, town centre regeneration and the delivery of new homes.
Capital & Centric is currently undertaking engagement on a number of early-stage concepts. Once this engagement exercise is complete, the council will review the feedback received alongside technical, planning and financial evidence.
No sites have been approved for development, and no decision has been taken to progress any proposals beyond the current exploratory stage.
This webpage has been created to provide information about the partnership.
What is Capital & Centric?
Capital & Centric is a property developer specialising in regeneration schemes. The company focuses on economic and housing-led regeneration that can create new homes, jobs and wider benefits for local communities.
Why is the council working with Capital & Centric?
In July 2025, Cabinet approved an initial partnership with Capital & Centric to explore potential regeneration opportunities within Huntingdon, St Neots and St Ives.
The purpose of the partnership was to identify and develop ideas that could support economic growth, improve places and potentially deliver new homes and employment opportunities. No specific schemes or sites were approved as part of that decision.
What exactly did Cabinet approve?
Cabinet approved officers working with Capital & Centric to identify and develop regeneration opportunities, undertake stakeholder engagement and prepare business cases. Cabinet also supported the principle of working with Capital & Centric as a potential delivery partner and undertaking engagement activities as proposals were developed.
No specific developments, sites or planning applications were approved.
Why has Capital & Centric undertaken the engagement exercise?
Public engagement forms part of the exploratory work approved by Cabinet. The purpose is to gather views on potential ideas and opportunities before any decision is taken on whether proposals should be developed further.
Is this a formal consultation?
No. The engagement exercise was an opportunity to gather early feedback on ideas and concepts. It was not a statutory consultation, and no planning applications have been submitted.
How will residents' feedback be used?
The council will review feedback received through the engagement process alongside technical, planning, financial and other evidence. This information will help inform future decisions about whether any proposals should progress.
Why can’t you just cancel the work now?
The engagement activity ran until 4 September. A report will be produced bringing together the results of all the engagement work, including online responses, face-to-face feedback and other relevant factors.
This will provide a clear, evidence-based picture of the feedback received and help inform any recommendations that are brought forward. The report and any resulting recommendations will then follow the council’s normal governance processes.
Have decisions already been made?
No. No decision has been made regarding whether any regeneration proposal will proceed.
Any future progression would require formal approval through the council's governance processes.
Has the council approved any developments?
No. The council has not approved any developments, regeneration schemes or planning applications as part of this work. Any decision to progress would require further approval through the council's governance processes.
Have any sites been approved for development?
No. No sites have been approved for development by the council. The concepts presented as part of the engagement exercise are ideas for consideration and feedback, not approved development proposals.
Why has the council spent money?
The expenditure relates to pre-development work undertaken to assess whether regeneration opportunities are viable, and deliverable. This includes surveys, design work, planning advice, engineering assessments, cost advice, environmental studies, project management and viability testing.
No construction work has been commissioned.
What has the money been spent on?
The expenditure has funded a range of professional services and technical studies, including:
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Architectural and concept design work
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Project and programme management
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Engineering and infrastructure assessments
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Quantity surveying and cost management
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Planning and heritage advice
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Transport assessments
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Environmental and ecological surveys
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Land and building surveys
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Public engagement activities.
These activities help assess opportunities, constraints, costs and risks before any decision on progression is made.
Further details of Capital and Centric expenditure can be found in this document. [PDF, 0.1MB]
Has any of this money been spent on construction?
No. No construction works have been commissioned, and no building works have commenced. The expenditure relates entirely to pre-development, feasibility, design and technical assessment activity.
Why spend money before any developments have been approved?
Large regeneration projects require significant assessment work before informed decisions can be made. This includes understanding planning constraints, technical risks, viability, infrastructure requirements and potential benefits.
The purpose of the work is to ensure that any future decisions are evidence-based.
Has the council committed to spending more money?
No. The current commitment relates to the approved work undertaken to date. Any future expenditure beyond the current stage would require further approvals through the council's governance arrangements.
Some work originally planned under Gateway 2 has been brought forward into Gateway 1 due to the specific constraints of the sites involved, particularly their conservation status and complexity, in order to enable informed consideration of the proposals.
Formal approval for the wider Gateway 2 activity has not been approved.
Is the council contractually committed to proceed?
No. The council can choose not to progress beyond the current stage. Progression is subject to governance approvals and gateway controls.
Is the council funding a private developer?
The council approved funding for the exploratory phase of work to assess potential opportunities. The expenditure relates to the development work, technical assessments and evidence gathering needed to determine whether proposals are viable.
No decision has been made regarding future development activity.
How is this work funded?
The work is funded through the Regeneration Opportunities Reserve, which was established following the July 2025 Cabinet decision.
What is the contractual agreement with Capital and Centric?
Capital & Centric were appointed by Bloom Procurement Services Ltd on behalf of Huntingdonshire District Council to deliver placemaking design and regeneration consultancy for developments in three towns.
Under the Work Order, Capital & Centric were responsible for producing viable, high-quality designs sympathetic to each town’s setting, engaging stakeholders and the public, appointing sub-consultants, and procuring necessary surveys and investigations for the progression of several regeneration based mixed use schemes.
What are the gateway controls?
The agreement includes formal gateway stages which require approval before work can progress further. Progression beyond the current stage requires formal approval by the council.
What happens if none of the proposals progress?
The council can decide not to proceed with any proposals. While concept-specific work may have limited future use, surveys, engineering assessments, planning advice and other technical information may still help to inform future regeneration, planning and asset management decisions.
Has any council-owned land been sold or committed as part of this work?
No. The council has not sold, transferred, optioned or committed any land as part of the work undertaken with Capital & Centric. No development agreement has been entered into.
What benefits could regeneration bring if proposals eventually proceed?
Potential regeneration projects may support economic growth, town centre renewal, new homes, employment opportunities, public realm improvements and wider investment into local communities. However, no decision has been made on whether any specific proposal will progress.
Further information about the proposals is available via Capital & Centric:
The engagement activity is due to close on 4 September.
Questions regarding the council's role in the partnership can be directed to the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Delivery Team at markettowns@huntingdonshire.gov.uk.
Feedback on the engagement exercise should be directed to Capital & Centric through their published channels.