Oxford City Council has completed its latest development of 10 council and shared ownership homes on a former depot site off Lanham Way.
The development was managed by the Council’s housing company OX Place and includes six semi-detached two-bed houses and four semi-detached three-bed houses.
The new homes are built in brick, with feature front gables. Front gardens with stone boundary walls mean they blend in with the character of the adjacent Littlemore conservation area.
The development is called Youngs Way, after Martin Young - vicar of the nearby Church of St Mary and St Nicholas from 1951 to 1964. He is buried in the churchyard and his name was proposed by Littlemore Parish Council.
Affordable
Five council homes are being let at social rent to households on the housing register.
Social rent levels in Oxford are typically around 40% of the rent a private landlord would charge for the same home.
The remaining five homes are shared ownership. This is a flexible option for helping people like first time buyers, key workers and under-40s onto the housing ladder by buying a share of their home and paying rent on the rest.
A typical 25% share at Youngs Way is £105,000 for a two-bed home and £130,000 for a three-bed home. All shared ownership homes have been reserved and sold subject to contract through OX Place.
Sustainable
Youngs Way takes a ‘fabric first’ approach, with enhanced insulation and air tightness standards to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Living spaces face southwest to maximise sunlight.
The new homes are electrically heated, primarily by air source heat pumps. Rooftop solar PV panels generate electricity for use during the day.
The development exceeds council planning requirements by achieving an average 71.6% energy use reduction beyond 2013 building regulations.
Youngs Way was built using timber frame construction. Timber frame construction is faster, has a lower carbon footprint and is less disruptive than traditional builds.
All homes are fully adaptable to meet people’s changing needs throughout their lives.
Youngs Way features bat roosting boxes and hedgehog tunnels, together with bug and bee boxes across the site.
Each home has a cycle store with a green roof, providing secure storage for three bikes. There are nine parking spaces with EV charging. These include three spaces suitable for drivers with disabilities.
Partners
Youngs Way was built by Feltham Construction and designed by Jessop and Cook Architects. The development has been supported with Homes England funding.
Social value
As part of a wider commitment to building communities, OX Place and Feltham Construction improved facilities at the adjacent John Henry Newman Academy. This involved building new storage in changing rooms and a buggy store.
A new path from Medhurst Way means pupils can still get to school from Sandford Road, even when current pathway access closes.
Comment
“Oxford needs homes and Youngs Way exemplifies the Council’s commitment to building low-carbon, high-quality and genuinely affordable council and shared ownership homes.
“Shared ownership provides a vital leg up onto the property ladder for those who would otherwise be priced out of Oxford, while each new council home makes a life-changing difference to a family on our housing register.”
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies
“OX Place’s mission is to deliver beautiful, sustainable and above all affordable homes for life. It’s been a pleasure managing the Youngs Way development for Oxford City Council and I’m looking forward to seeing people move into their new homes.”
Kevin Lowry, Interim Managing Director at OX Place
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