IF YOU WERE to draw up a wish-list for the perfect new development, you could end up with something resembling St Andrews Park in Cambridge. Even the smallest details of the scheme have been carefully designed to fit in with a city renowned for its architecture. And the location couldn’t be better – only one mile from the Science Park and city centre, right in the heart of one of the hottest property spots.

Here house prices have risen by double digits over the last five years, fuelled by the steady growth of high-tech and science jobs. Some 80,000 people work in the city, dubbed East Anglia’s Silicon Fen and home to Microsoft’s Research Laboratory. Yet only 40,000 working adults actually live in the city.

You do not have to have a doctorate in mathematics to work out that demand for Cambridge properties is far from sated. Most of the desirable properties in the town centre belong to the colleges, and opportunities to build anything new rarely arise.

If you think that this means high demand for rentals, however, think again. Buy-to-let investors have been cashing in on the city’s booming property market for years, and Cambridge is awash with modern town houses to rent.

Competition among landlords keeps rents relatively low. Four-bedroom houses are rarely let for more than £1,700 a month – not enough to make a big profit on top of the mortgage payment but still too much to charge the average student. Buying for yourself is another matter.

GETTING IN

The scheme, designed by Stefan Zins and built by Bryant and Laing Homes, is pitched at the middle of the market. Prices for the four-bedroom townhouses range from £389,000 to £439,950 and buyers have two choice of designs. A new phase of apartments is due to be released at Christmas.

GETTING OUT

London is less than an hour away by train, or about 80 minutes on the M11. You can fly to Jersey from Cambridge airport, but Stansted is more convenient for other destinations.

Contact: St Andrews Park, from Bidwells 01223-841 842, www.standrewsparkcambridge.co.uk

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