OX Place is holding a community consultation event on its plans to build new affordable, low-carbon homes in Bertie Place.
Oxford City Council’s housing company aims to build 31 new homes on the Bertie Place recreation ground, which was formerly used for landfill. The site has been earmarked for housing development since 2013.
All the new homes will be affordable. The current plans are for 22 council homes let at social rent and nine sold for shared ownership. The council homes will be made up of 10 three-bed houses, 10 one-bed flats and 2 two-bed flats. The shared ownership homes will all be two-bed houses.
A new public play area and multi-use games area (MUGA) will be built on the site to replace the recreation ground’s existing equipment. A nature trail will also be created in the adjacent Cold Harbour site and a new, accessible bridge built to link the area to Bertie Place.
While energy efficiency measures are yet to be finalised, OX Place’s ‘fabric first’ approach means all its developments feature enhanced insulation and air tightness standards. The council’s planning requirements are for new homes to go 40% beyond carbon reduction targets in 2021 building regulations.
The new homes will be electrically heated – meaning they will become zero carbon when the electricity grid decarbonises.
Community consultation
OX Place is holding a community consultation event for its plans on Tuesday 1 November. This will take place from 3:45pm to 8pm at South Oxford Community Centre in Lake Street.
The event will showcase OX Place’s latest designs and give members of the public an opportunity to meet the development team, ask questions and give their feedback.
OX Place is in the process of delivering leaflets inviting local people to the event.
For those unable to attend, OX Place will publish event materials online and provide an opportunity for people to comment on their plans. The housing company will also deliver a post-consultation newsletter with answers to frequently asked questions.
Consultation responses will help to inform the planning application, which OX Place aims to submit within the next six months.
If planning permission is granted work could start on the new homes in late 2023.
Comment
“OX Place has been working hard on its plans for Bertie Place following earlier community engagement. As well as now being 100% affordable, the proposed development incorporates a new play area, a MUGA and a new nature trail.
“Oxford desperately needs more affordable homes. A lack of remaining large development sites means we need to deliver these on small pockets of land like Bertie Place. OX Place’s new designs directly address issues raised by local residents and I would urge people to have their say on our housing company’s latest proposals.”
Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery
"I’m really looking forward to showcasing our latest designs for Bertie Place, hearing what people think and answering their questions, so please join us at South Oxford Community Centre on 1 November.”
Helen Horne, Managing Director at OX Place
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