Christ Church submits planning application for new sustainable housing

Christ Church and Dorchester Residential Management have submitted planning applications for a new neighbourhood at Land North of Bayswater Brook, which have now been registered by the local authorities. Consultation by South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxford City Council has now started on the planning applications.

The planning applications follow two years of community and stakeholder engagement alongside extensive technical studies and work with a range of organisations.

The applications will deliver:

• 1,450 high quality new homes to include 50 per cent affordable housing (Social Rent, Affordable Rent, Shared Ownership and First Homes), as well as an additional 120 assisted living dwellings of which 50 per cent will also be affordable homes
• Over 57 hectares of Green and Blue Infrastructure including new recreation, amenity and public open space areas, new recreational routes, and new ecological habitats
• Refurbishment and enhancement of the historic Wick Farm buildings and Grade II-star listed Well House to create a vibrant local centre
• A new primary school on-site and contributions towards expanding secondary and SEN education
• Enhancing the natural flow of the Bayswater Brook, creating new wildlife habitats and exceeding biodiversity net gain targets while managing flooding and improving existing issues for local properties
• Using renewable and low carbon technologies to create greener homes and a sustainable development, for example by avoiding the use of fossil fuels to heat the new buildings from the outset

There will also be a striking new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the A40, providing a safe link connecting Barton, Barton Park, and Bayswater to Oxford. The bridge has been designed by award-winning architects Wilkinson Eyre, and will encourage cycling and walking as a fundamental part of this development.

James Lawrie, Treasurer at Christ Church, said: 'With Oxford facing a significant housing crisis, we are proud to be delivering vital homes to address Oxford City’s unmet housing need.

'We are excited to present our proposals for a beautiful, sustainable neighbourhood with 50 per cent affordable housing, which will include renewable and low carbon technologies.

'We look forward to giving this development a distinct identity that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and  will provide amenities and facilities for use by the existing communities at Barton, Barton Park and local villages to help bring the communities together through an innovative approach to long-term stewardship.'