4000 homes to be built south of Oxford

Green belt land in land south of Grenoble Road has been given the go-ahead for 4000 new homes. These homes account for targets outlined in the South East Plan a blueprint for development over the next 20 years.

Further Reading
Oxford Mail 29th July 2009

Land south of Finham has been designated as being part of the areas’ core strategy which is a plan to build 32,500 homes in the Coventry area before 2026.

Green belt land south of Green Lane, Finham has been earmarked for 3,500 homes. Although the land falls under Warwick District Council, the new housing will fall under Coventry’s house building allocation.

Further Reading
Coventry Telegraph, Finham people fuming over 3,500 homes plan

This is fantastic news – for more information about opportunities in land contact Scala here.

Major House Builder Persimmon Confident of Future

Following a difficult period for the UK’s biggest house builder it has now began to see the shoots of an upturn. CEO Mike Farley has indicated it will now begin to expand its workforce and will not sell off its valuable land bank of 64,500 plots.

Further Reading
Daily Mail, Solid foundations in housing sector

Extra 1.5 billion allocated to build extra affordable homes

A total of £1.5 billion has been earmarked for local authorities to build 3,000 extra council houses over the next two years. This measure will aim to encourage stalled developments and deliver a total of 20,000 new homes.

This cash is on top of the current £8 billion for 2008-11 given to the HCA, and also additional to the £500 million announced in the budget.

Further reading
Regen.net – Government unveils £1.5 billion housing boost

A new Japanese built ‘javelin’ train left Ashford for the first time yesterday at 6.48am arriving at St Pancras at 7.24am. This journey takes 80 minutes on a normal train.

The Telegraph reported that the estate agent Strutt & Parker based in Canterbury has just recorded its busiest May on record and the agent has more of its properties under offer now than at any time in the last two years. “There’s new interest. Until this year, we’d rarely get phone calls from buyers looking at Kent because of the train. Now we’re probably getting them on a daily basis.”

Further Reading
The Telegraph – New high speed train brings buyers to Kent
BBC – High-speed Javelin arrives early

The land to be discussed is known as Slade End Farm and is currently owned by Prupim the development wing of The Prudential.

Proposals are that new homes should be built in land south of Wantage Rd and east of Bosley Way.

South Oxfordshire District Council has planned this area together with land at Winterbrook should be the preferred option to build 850 new homes.

John Clark of appointed architects John Thompson and Partners was quoted as saying, “The proposed site is the appropriate location for the sustainable extension of Wallingford, providing new homes, community facilities and public open space.”

Further Reading
Oxford Times – Developers to consult Wallingford and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell residents

David Orr the Federation chief executive said, “We warmly welcome the appointment of John Healey and look forward to working closely with him.

“The country is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. The number of new homes being built this year is expected to slump to an 88-year low, while waiting lists for affordable homes have hit record levels.

“Clearly the new minister must get Britain building again.

“Mr. Healey must also look at ways of getting the nationalised banks to lend to the thousands of people who are currently being refused mortgages for shared ownership properties – despite having good credit records.

“The minister will need to work closely with housing associations to deliver the thousands of affordable homes this country desperately needs.”

The National Housing Federation has also outlined plans to encourage housing associations to build thousands of new affordable homes by the next election. This would be delivered through £3.2 billion of public investment.

“If ministers invest £3.2bn, housing associations will compliment this with their own investment, and deliver 50,000 new social homes by next June”, said David Orr.

Further Information
John Healey, National Housing Federation Website
House Building Programme, National Housing Federation Website

Career History
2002-2007 Economic Secretary and then later as Financial Secretary
2001-2002 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Adults Skills
1997 elected Member of Parliament for Wentworth in South Yorkshire
1994-1997 Campaigns Director for the TUC
1990 to 1994 worked in communications for Issue Communications
1984-1990 worked with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation and MIND

Planners Join Forces to Deliver Housing in Land South of Oxford

Following the previous week’s news of the Government having sanctioned 55,200 new homes in Oxfordshire, planning executives from neighbouring councils have agreed to put aside disagreements whether the homes should be built at all and to work together on proposals to build 4,000 homes south of Oxford.

Further Reading
Neighbouring councils agree to differ on homes

The numbers equate to 55,200 new homes to be built by 2026, which means a yearly rate of 2,760.

The Oxford Council housing chief Ed Turner is supportive of the decision and was reported as saying, “We are facing a housing crisis in Oxford.

“I run into people all the time with three or four children sharing a room and people in their 20s who still live at home with nowhere to go.

“We need to help people looking for somewhere affordable or looking to get on the property ladder.”

In South Oxfordshire, approximately 11,000 homes have been earmarked. 6000 of the new homes have been designated to be built in Didcot, with the following to be spread in villages such as Thame, Henley and Wallingford.

Further Reading
Oxford Mail, Oxfordshire ordered to build 55,200 homes by 2026