Plans are being developed for up to 12 new affordable homes on two council-owned sites in Blackbird Leys.
The homes will be built through a new partnership between Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire Community Land Trust (OCLT).
The Pegasus Road and Balfour Road sites were identified as opportunities for affordable housing through a joint feasibility study carried out by the council and OCLT in 2021.
The study looked at council-owned garage sites and other underused parcels of land across Blackbird Leys, with extensive community engagement helping to identify the most suitable sites for housing.
Funding from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has already enabled the demolition of garages at Pegasus Road, helping to prepare the site for future housing development.
OCLT is now progressing plans to secure planning permission for up to 12 affordable homes across the two sites.
The council has entered into an Agreement for Lease with OCLT. Subject to planning permission being granted and the satisfaction of other conditions within the agreement, OCLT will take responsibility for delivering and managing the homes under a long-term lease arrangement. Through OCLT’s commitment to the Oxfordshire Register for Affordable Housing (ORAH), the homes will be allocated to applicants on Oxford City Council’s housing register.
If the necessary approvals and conditions are secured, OCLT estimates work on site to start in Spring 2027.
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Cllr Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “There is a huge need for affordable homes in Oxford and every piece of land and every new home counts. Making the best possible use of land the council owns already, such as these former garage sites is especially important.
“These new plans are a great example of what can be achieved when the council works with a community-led housing organisation. We’ve helped unlock underused land and funding, while OCLT is now taking forward plans that could deliver around 12 much-needed affordable homes for local people.
“We hope to see work begin next year and these sites transformed into new homes for people on Oxford’s housing register.”
Jonathan Miller, director at the Oxfordshire Community Land Trust, said: “Oxfordshire Community Land Trust is delighted to have agreed terms on a long-term lease for both the Balfour and Pegasus Road former garage sites.
“Following a short period of community engagement, we plan to submit planning applications for both sites later this year, setting out our vision to transform these former disused sites into permanently affordable homes in perpetuity.”
Image: Roger Templeman CC-BY-SA 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_on_Blackbird_Leys_Road_over_railway_branch_line_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2445963.jpg
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