A STRONG AND BALANCED COMMUNITY
The provision of new housing will form a vital part of the West End regeneration. In addition to the dynamic, if small, residential community that already exists in the West End - see our Community Involvement page for details - the area has been identified as a sustainable location for further residential development. Located in the heart of Oxford, it offers the opportunity for city centre living, where people can walk or cycle to work, shop, socialise and catch public transport. It is possible that the West End may eventually accommodate up to 800 new dwellings, which would help support new facilities and amenities, benefitting existing residents and the area as a whole. Creating a strong and balanced community will be key to the success of the West End. Housing Mix Affordable Housing Affordable Housing from Commercial Development Community Health Providers and Social Services Student Accommodation Amenities to Support New Housing Read more about the West End's key projects...
It is essential to ensure a balanced and mixed community by requiring some larger dwellings in the West End. This will help to attract families, who are likely to stay longer in the area and will hopefully create a more stable community. Oxford City Council will therefore refuse planning permission for residential development that does not help achieve an appropriate mix of dwelling types. This mix will equally apply to the affordable housing element of a residential development. As so many amenities and facilities will be located within easy walking and cycling distance, it could be appropriate for smaller units to be car-free with larger dwellings allocated limited parking space.
There is a huge need for affordable housing in Oxford, and the redevelopment of the West End offers an important opportunity to help meet some of this need in a highly sustainable location. All proposals that include residential development in Oxford are expected to provide a proportion of affordable housing, and the West End Partnership will seek the provision of 40-50% affordable homes. This is likely to be in the ratio of 80% social rented and 20% shared ownership.
Commercial developments in Oxford are also expected to contribute to meeting the need for affordable housing. Planning permission is likely to be prioritised for commercial developments where the additional affordable housing equals the demand created.
Another important element of the West End community is evident from the number of facilities and services provided by the various health and social service providers. These include the several hostels and drop-in centres already located in the West End catering for groups of people who are sometimes less visible. There may be future proposals for similar or linked facilities in the West End. It is important that these vital services are located in the right places in terms of allowing users access to the services and in terms of their relationship to neighbouring uses. The West End Partnership will work with agencies such as the Primary Care Trust, homelessness service providers, the police, Benefits Agency, Probation Service and social services to find creative and progressive solutions to the varied problems faced by some members of our community.
The West End is an ideal location for some additional student accommodation as it is near many of Oxford University's colleges. Purpose-built student accommodation would enable more students to live in halls of residences, which would reduce the pressure on the private rental market, making more family homes available. However, as the West End is identified as a sustainable location for housing, and there is a desire to create a mixed and balanced community, it is vital that the amount of student accommodation should not jeopardise these objectives. A survey was carried out to identify demand for new student accommodation in the West End; an analysis of available sites showed that the total number of new student units in the West End should not exceed 350. To ensure a balanced community, the amount of student accommodation should remain at less than half the number of new residential units provided in the West End.
It is important that plans for large increases in housing in the West End take into account the need for local amenities, such as increased school capacity, local open space and play facilities. It is important that these facilities be located adjacent to bus routes to facilitate easy access. If proposals come forward that include the loss of supporting facilities, the West End Partnership will need to be satisfied that there will be no overall loss of amenity to the West End community.