Oxford housing development APPROVED: Ten new homes on way

Plans for new affordable housing in Littlemore were first submitted in November 2021 and the decision to grant permission was finally issued on March 21.

Initially, Jessop and Cook Architects outlined plans for 14 homes at a former workshop on Lanham Way in Littlemore.

READ MORE: 500 new homes to be built near Oxfordshire village

However, these plans were reduced to ten homes at a site which is currently fenced off and derelict.

Councillor Linda Smith and cabinet member for housing said the number of homes being built was reduced from the original plans to reflect the “concerns raised by local residents about overdevelopment and parking on site”.

Councillor Linda Smith (Image: Oxford Mail)

Ms Smith explained: “The planning process showed that it does work for local residents and the concerns were listened to so the number of units on the site dropped from 14.”

Final approval for the new homes was granted at a planning committee meeting on March 21.

READ MORE: BMW in Oxfordshire village seized by Thames Valley Police

Ms Smith said there would now be nine parking spaces on site, and she hoped the approved plans would “alleviate the concerns which were raised in the planning process by local residents”.

Originally, the plans included space for ten parking spaces and access to the site is available via Medhurst Way.

The development will include six two-bed dwellings and four three bed-dwellings.

The six two bed properties are set to be two storeys tall and the four three bed properties three storeys tall.

Ms Smith said half of these ten homes will be let out to people waiting on the housing register and the other half will have the status of shared ownership.

READ MORE: Oxford homeless hostels: Inside Floyds Row and O'Hanlon House

When asked about Oxford City Council’s future plans for building more affordable housing, Ms Smith said: “This development is part of the bigger programme of 1600 new homes which we are building to address Oxford’s housing need.”

Oxford City Council have pledged to build 1,600 new affordable homes by the end of 2025/2026, with at least 850 of these being available to let at social rent.

Littlemore is a civil parish in Oxford and it is roughly 4km southeast of Oxford city centre.

READ MORE: Popular Oxford Kebab van is back after short closure

Money has also been pledged towards planting a number of hedgerows to preserve Littlemore’s green surroundings.

Existing overgrown vegetation will need to be removed in order for the work to start taking place.

Next week, the council is set to approve a £2.3 million programme which will deliver six new affordable homes for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees.

The purchase of these houses will only be feasible due to up to £1,108,620 in grant funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.