This town has a standard of living so high that only a few people can afford it.
A senior lecturer at St John's college on a £40k salary is unlikely to be able to afford a family home on Walton Crescent or a new-build estate. In Oxfordshire, only 22% of new housing is affordable. The council at the town hall has 3000 people waiting for homes, 200 in leased units, 800 in temporary accommodation and others at shelter such as the one at Luther Street.

The government is seeking to address the unmet demand for homes in the South-east through planning policy. It is revising circular 6/98, which gives guidance on affordable housing. A decision is pending. Its communities plan, unveiled in January, talks of allowing councils to seek affordable housing provision on smaller sites than at present.

Oxford can't wait. The council has allied with others in the region to rule that half of new developments be affordable, the demand first made by London mayor Ken Livingstone. That figure is now suggested in government regional planning guidance for the South-east, and Oxford council's draft local plan requires that half of all developments of two or more homes be affordable, and that larger sites provide key worker housing as well. Neighbouring local authorities are following its lead (see box).

At the moment, the policies emerging from the councils are contrary to government policy in circular 6/98, which requires affordable housing to be provided only on sites with more than 25 homes in total, or of more than a hectare. But the council is lobbying the government to have more demanding targets included in the revision of circular 6/98. "We are trying to get the best planning policy to meet housing need. We feel we have to do this," says Neil Gibson, strategic director responsible for housing at Oxford council.

Naturally enough, the developers are fearful that a 50% figure conceived for London's most affluent boroughs, and made viable by high prices and high density, could soon be applied to pocket infill sites in Oxfordshire towns. "If emerging policies are adopted, less housing will come forward," says John Ashton, planning partner at consultant West Waddy ADP, which organised a seminar for Oxfordshire housebuilders on this issue last month. "Smaller sites will become more difficult to develop."

But there could be a solution for the househunting lecturer, if only housebuilder JA Pye could get planning approval. Graham Pye, chairman and managing director, wants planning authorities to count low-cost home ownership homes as part of a private developer's affordable housing contribution, allowing them to meet the need for intermediate housing. "We would like to be developing homes for low-cost home ownership, but we can't because we can't get planning permission," he says. "Low-cost home ownership could be a great opportunity for housebuilders. We just need a bit of help from planning authorities."

  • In our planning feature on Section 106 last issue, the paragraph beginning "The Appeal Court decided …" should have continued "… that the clause imposed a positive obligation on Berkeley in relation to the construction of the hotel, but not a negative obligation on Westbury preventing occupation of more than 50 units."

    Oxfordshire gets tough – emerging affordable housing policy

    Oxford council’s draft local plan demands affordable housing on sites of two units and above. Affordable housing is set at a level of 50%, but for sites of 20 units additional key worker housing at a level of at least 10% is required. New commercial developments of over 2000 m2 will also be expected to provide both affordable and keyworker housing. Cherwell council’s draft local plan requires 30% for Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, sites of 25 dwellings or 1 ha. For villages with a population of less than 3000 and sites of six or more dwellings, the level is set at 30%. South Oxfordshire council’s draft local plan anticipates 40% affordable housing for sites of less than 0.5 ha or 15 dwellings. For villages with a population of less than 3000 where sites are of 20+ homes, the requirement rises to 50%. Vale of White Horse council sets the 50% standard for sites of 0.3 ha or 10 dwellings. The 50% figure also applies to villages with a population of less than 3000 where sites are of 4+ dwellings. West Oxfordshire council has adopted 50% as a general rule except for sites allocated in the plan – for example, Witney and Carterton, where a figure of 30% applies.

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