Implementation

Major Developments

The Implementation Team is primarily responsible for securing the implementation of development on allocated housing sites. It has taken a key role in the planning and management of the two major development areas at North East Witney and North East Carterton. When complete these areas will together provide around 2800 houses, representing over 40% of the total housing provision in the District for the period 1996-2011. Plans and information on each housing area are available from the 'file downloads' list to the right of the page.

Affordable Housing

The team also assists the provision of affordable housing on allocated, windfall and rural exception sites throughout the District. The aim of the District Council is to secure a minimum of 340 new affordable dwellings between 2007 and 2010. In the financial year 2007/2008 134 new affordable dwellings were completed.

Affordable housing provision is normally secured through a legal agreement between the developer, landowners and the District Council. The team is responsible for the monitoring of the legal agreements in order to ensure that the conditions of the agreement are met.

A number of affordable houses have been provided on the two major development areas but also on other sites such as the Tower Hill Works, Early's Mill and Bridge Street Mill in Witney and the Parker Knoll Site in Chipping Norton.

The team provides guidance and information in relation to the provision of affordable housing in rural locations. A rural exception site is a parcel of land within or at the edge of a village or town that is acquired for housing to meet identified local needs only. Such an area of land would not normally be granted planning permission for open market housing and will only be granted permission as a rural exception site if it meets proven local needs and is environmentally acceptable. The team has produced a guide to 'Affordable Housing on Rural Exception Sites' and is currently actively pursuing a number of sites to help meet local housing needs in the villages. This is done in conjunction with Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership (www.orhp.org.uk)

Research and Guidance

Householder surveys have been carried out at Shilton Park, Carterton and Madley Park, Witney in 2006 and 2008.

Guidance notes have been published on Parking in Residential Developments and Provision for Waste Storage and Collection in Residential Developments.

Contact details

Martin Brookes - Planning Consultant 01993-861679