Project approval has been granted to build 15 much-needed, fully affordable homes in Northway.
Oxford City Council's housing company OX Place will now begin work to build the three-storey development.
The block, in Westlands Drive, will be made up of a mixture of one- to four-bedroom homes. Grant approval for £5,693,000 was made from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget, the ring-fenced Council account that pays for the management and maintenance of council-owned housing and funds the provision of new council housing.
Affordable homes
Eleven of the new homes will be council homes, with six let at social rent and five let at affordable rent.
In Oxford, social rent is typically 40% of what a private landlord would charge for the same home, while affordable rent is 60-65% of what a private tenant would pay.
The remaining four homes will be sold for shared ownership.
Shared ownership is a more flexible way of helping people onto the property ladder in Oxford. Shared ownership allows people to buy a share of their home – between 10% and 75% initially – while paying rent on the rest.
One property will be fully accessible for people using wheelchairs and a lift will provide level access to all flats.
Supporting the environment
Enhanced biodiversity on the site will be ensured via bird nesting and bat roosting sites, with bug hotels spread across the development.
The green space of the development will be complemented by newly planted trees and a paved seating area with curved benches.
The scheme uses a fabric-first approach to minimise energy consumption and cost, with a target of zero carbon for regulated energy.
Westlands Drive will be a low-car development, with two wheelchair-accessible parking spaces and a third space for visiting carers.
There will be communal storage for 28 bikes for people living in the flats, and all houses will have their own bike spaces.
Next steps
OX Place aims to start work on site in Spring 2026 with the first new residents expected a year later.
OX Place is building more than 2,000 new homes in Oxford over the next 10 years. More than 1,100 of these homes will be new council homes.
Comment
“Oxford needs affordable homes, and this decision means we can now deliver 15 more of them. We know that each home makes a life-changing difference. Westlands Drive will deliver 11 council homes and four shared ownership homes, all built to OX Place’s high standards with sustainability in mind, all significantly exceeding our low carbon requirements.”
Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities
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