£2.6million investment in affordable housing

39 affordable homes will be delivered in the Cherwell District

Cherwell District Council is set to invest a sizable sum of government funding to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing in our area. 39 affordable homes will be built using £2.636 million of cash, the majority of which has come from Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal funding. Money paid by developers when building in the district will also be utilised.

Included in the build will be 18 shared ownership affordable homes which will be provided across a number of sites in the Banbury area, including two, three and four bedroom homes. 16 one and two bedroom apartments will be built at the zero carbon development in north-west Bicester.

Five extra care housing units will also be offered at social rent tenure in Banbury. This will let older people live independently while having access to round the clock care.

Councillor Lucinda Wing, Lead Member for Housing, said: “We are really proud to be putting this government funding to good use for the benefit of local people. Residents need more affordable housing, built to high standards and available on a wider range of tenures. That is a key goal within our housing strategy and these new solutions will help to deliver it.

“We are delighted to be supporting a community-led development in Hook Norton and working effectively with registered providers across the district too. With a high level of pressure on social housing in our area, we feel that as they come forward, these schemes will make a real difference.”

Elsewhere, an environmentally friendly development of 12 homes at The Bourne in Hook Norton is being led by the Hook Norton Community Land Trust and supported by the council. These will be built to the Passivhaus energy efficiency standard and offer a mixture of rental, shared ownership and privately-owned dwellings. The development will also include community facilities for the benefit of residents and the wider community.