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Labour’s housing targets for Cherwell up by 55 percent
05/08/2024
The Local Government Chronicle believes Cherwell will now have to build at least 1,095 houses annually
An extra 389 more houses over those already planned are going to have to be built every year in the Cherwell District following Labour’s redrawing of planning rules.
The Local Government Chronicle has studied the new methodology for district housing targets and has calculated that the district will go from being required to build 706 houses each year, to 1,095 houses annually – a 55 percent increase.
Oxford City’s target has also increased by 38 percent to 1,051 new homes each year. Historically the city has been unable to cope with its requirement with the Cherwell District taking much of the overspill.
West Northamptonshire’s house building target has also increased, by 22 percent.
Banbury’s MP Sean Woodcock blamed the previous Conservative government and Cherwell District Council’s administration for the situation.
He said: “The Conservatives removal of housing targets was an utter disaster. It made worse a housing crisis which in Cherwell saw the waiting list quadruple in a decade, temporary accommodation costs skyrocket and the council go a period of 6 years without building a single social house.
“This Labour government has a mandate and is taking action to fix it.
“But it is for the council to develop its own Local Plan to ensure that these homes are built in appropriate places and that green spaces are protected.”
A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: “The government is proposing a change to the method for calculating housing need as part of its consultation on changes to national planning policy. The potential implications for all Local Planning Authorities have been published by the government. This includes the suggested need of 1,095 homes per annum for Cherwell.
“We will provide a response to the consultation in due course. When published, the final version of the revised national planning policy framework will inform our new local plan.”
Banbury FM contacted the leader of the Conservative Group, offering him the opportunity to comment on the position. We have not yet received any response.
However the leader of the Greens, Kidlington East Councillor Ian Middleton, did reply. He said: “I’m still digesting the changes to housing targets being proposed by the government, but speaking as one of the local members for Kidlington which took the brunt of servicing Oxford’s supposed unmeetable housing need in the Local Plan Partial Review a few years ago, I wouldn’t want to see any more land in this area turned over to the City’s supposed needs.
“So far not a single house has been delivered as part of those revisions which took out large swathes of our green belt.
“We desperately need more affordable housing in Kidlington but those should be the right houses in the right places for our own growing families. We certainly can’t afford to use any more of our available development land to meet needs the City seems unable or unwilling to meet themselves.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Mrs A Dudley On 07/08/2024 at 6:07 am
well said Ian. We need to think more creatively towards house sharing etc to reduce the need for ever more house building eg live in carers, thereby also reducing the burden on the NHS.