Nearly 1,400 acres of rural Cambridgeshire bordering Suffolk could become a new ‘garden town’ with developers claiming it could deliver up to 8,500 homes.

Westley Green near Six Mile Bottom would dwarf controversial housing schemes such as that 10 miles away in Kennett which East Cambridgeshire Council approved for 500 houses.

The opening salvo was triggered today with the Hill Group and L&Q Estates describing it as their “maiden joint venture to promote a new community”.

The companies say they have a “collective ambition to prioritise imaginative and beautiful architectural design”.

They also promise an “emphasis on creating genuinely affordable and low carbon housing”.

Their joint statement said: “The supporting community facilities would seek to include schools, sporting facilities, playgrounds, shops and supermarkets and a wealth of public parkland and green open spaces.”

The Hill Group and L&Q Estates say they were “carefully selected by the landowner to promote this landmark scheme”.

Andy Hill, CEO of the Hill Group, said: “Westley Green is one of the largest strategic land opportunities to come to market in recent times and we are delighted to have been entrusted to progress it by the landowner.

“It has the opportunity to become a blueprint for sustainable living, providing low carbon, high quality housing and state-of-the-art infrastructure, whilst generating a wealth of vital employment and investment opportunities.”

He envisaged creating a “positive legacy for the region”.

Ian Hardwick, managing director of L&Q Estates, said: “We have vast experience in steering projects of this nature through from conception to completion.

“Westley Green is unique by virtue of it being in one single ownership, which will serve to simplify delivery and enable us to create a truly exceptional new settlement.”

His deputy group director Craig Luttman said: “Westley Green is a major step forward in our expansion into Cambridgeshire, accompanying 800 homes that are already planned on sites such as Darwin Green.

“Partnerships like this – involving like-minded organisations with a long-term commitment to sustainable growth and building beautiful places – underpin our group-wide plans to help tackle the housing crisis.”

The companies say they hope to include “significant on-site employment facilities” and a potential link to the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM) system.