Overview
Our small sites project aims to reclaim vacant garage sites and other disused council land for much-needed affordable homes.
There are around 1,925 council garages and nearly 750 of these are vacant. They are too small for modern cars and many garages still let are used for storage.
We are using an award of £340,213 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) to undertake enabling work which will include demolition of garage sites and derelict bungalows.
This will help pave the way for a mix of affordable community-led and council homes in Underhill Circus, Leiden Road, Balfour Road, Harebell Road and Pegasus Road.
Community-led homes in Blackbird Leys
Community-led housing means local people play a leading and lasting part in helping deliver the homes communities need.
We have been working with Transition by Design and Oxfordshire Community Land Trust (OCLT) on plans to deliver community-led housing.
A joint feasibility study in 2021 mapped council garage sites and other unused land in Blackbird Leys to assess their suitability for new homes.
This study included extensive community engagement and identified the three most suitable sites from an initial shortlist of eight.
BLRF funding will allow the demolition of 34 garages on two sites in Harebell Road and Pegasus Road and further work to prepare a vacant former garage site in Balfour Road for development.
Each site has the potential for at least four new homes.
Current tenants will be offered an alternative garage nearby.
We intend to grant a long lease to OCLT allowing the trust to redevelop the sites. Once completed, OCLT will let new homes at rents no greater than local housing allowance to people nominated from our housing register.
Council homes in Barton and Wood Farm
We are working on plans that could deliver up to 12 homes in Underhill Circus and up to six homes in Leiden Road. This will include the demolition of two uninhabitable council bungalows in Leiden Road.
We are aiming to build one-bed flats to help meet exceptional housing need experienced by single people. They will be let at social rent to people on our housing register.
Our housing company OX Place will manage the delivery of these two sites.
Next steps
Initial site survey and preparation work will begin in July 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of August.
ODS has been contracted to carry out this work and the subsequent demolition of garages and derelict bungalows.
The BLRF requires all land to be released for housing by the end of March 2027.
