Uni warns council to back off over homes

6:00pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Oliver Evans, covering Banbury. Call me on 01865 425271

Oxford University and the city council clashed at a public inquiry over a bid to make colleges give cash for affordable housing.

Oxford City Council wants to make the city’s two universities give funds for affordable homes as part of deals to build new student halls.

But Oxford University representatives told a public inquiry the move was unlawful and inconsistent with previous council policies.

The council said the proposal is legal and vital to ensured a “mixed and balanced” community.

The clash came on the second day of hearings into the council’s blueprint of where 8,000 homes should be built by 2026.

The plan includes a pledge to provide more affordable housing to help people on low incomes buy their own home.

Stephen Morgan, representing Oxford colleges, told the hearing the plan to impose a charge on college developments was unfair and “seriously flawed”.

Rupert Warren QC, for Oxford University, said the proposal was a matter of law and not up to the council to decide.

He told Tuesday’s hearing: “You can understand why they would want to do it but legally, we submit, it is fatally flawed.”

The council wants to charge £140 per square metre of new student flats with a five per cent administration charge on plans of eight units or more.

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In Oxford, private housing developments of 10 or more homes must already make 50 per cent of the properties available as affordable homes.

Anthony Crean QC, for the council, said the universities were “simply wrong” and the issue must be heard at the inquiry.

He said: “It is not something one party is able to announce at the beginning and shut down without any further debate.”

And he said there was “considerable room for manoeuvre between one plan and another”.

Council spatial and economic development manager Mark Jaggard said the demand for affordable housing would not jeopardise student housing plans.

The public inquiry is set to last 10 days.

Comments (7)

8:15pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Andrew:Oxford says...

I suspect the council are onto a loser here. Particularly if the scope of the "relaxing of planning laws" is as significant as reported.

Interestingly, we were not allowed to comment on the planning inquest story in yesterdays paper.

This is a very relevant quote:-

**But council spatial and economic development manager Mark Jaggard said of talks with housebuilders “not one site was given to us as an example of a site that has been mothballed because of our policies”. **

Now, whilst they may not be able to mention a single site that has been "mothballed", there is one major site that has had the planned Social Housing element reduced from 50% to 40% - as it would result in a financial loss to city council otherwise!

If the policies simply don't work for the city that wrote the policies, how can they possibly work for developers?
I suspect the council are onto a loser here. Particularly if the scope of the "relaxing of planning laws" is as significant as reported. Interestingly, we were not allowed to comment on the planning inquest story in yesterdays paper. This is a very relevant quote:- **But council spatial and economic development manager Mark Jaggard said of talks with housebuilders “not one site was given to us as an example of a site that has been mothballed because of our policies”. ** Now, whilst they may not be able to mention a single site that has been "mothballed", there is one major site that has had the planned Social Housing element reduced from 50% to 40% - as it would result in a financial loss to city council otherwise! If the policies simply don't work for the city that wrote the policies, how can they possibly work for developers? Andrew:Oxford

9:49pm Thu 13 Sep 12

EMBOX1 says...

Typical. The University rules the roost in Oxford. The local folk just have to lump it.

Its time they rebuild the University colleges in Milton Keynes and moved all the students there, and left us all in peace.
Typical. The University rules the roost in Oxford. The local folk just have to lump it. Its time they rebuild the University colleges in Milton Keynes and moved all the students there, and left us all in peace. EMBOX1

10:45pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Steps TDCR says...

Congratulations EMBOX1, you have been voted forum prat of the month. Please visit the Oxford Mail offices for your prize.
Congratulations EMBOX1, you have been voted forum prat of the month. Please visit the Oxford Mail offices for your prize. Steps TDCR

6:05am Fri 14 Sep 12

Myron Blatz says...

Maybe 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones' applies to the comment made by Steps? The real issue seems to be whether Cllr Bob Price's Labour-led Oxford City Council has the right to take the 'moral highround' and impose such demands? This Council has an unenviable track-record of wasting huge amounts of time and public money in defending its often ill-conceived and heavy-handed socialist policies.
Maybe 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones' applies to the comment made by Steps? The real issue seems to be whether Cllr Bob Price's Labour-led Oxford City Council has the right to take the 'moral highround' and impose such demands? This Council has an unenviable track-record of wasting huge amounts of time and public money in defending its often ill-conceived and heavy-handed socialist policies. Myron Blatz

11:18am Fri 14 Sep 12

Paul0 says...

Oxford simply does not have enough housing. So the council should encourage housebuilding, not keep thinking of new ways to discourage it. In this case, I would say (1) Building student accomodation could free up city housing for the rest of us, and (2) University colleges are not developers building homes they can sell for a profit. How can they pay this levy? The smaller colleges in particular struggle to fund new accomodation as it is.
Oxford simply does not have enough housing. So the council should encourage housebuilding, not keep thinking of new ways to discourage it. In this case, I would say (1) Building student accomodation could free up city housing for the rest of us, and (2) University colleges are not developers building homes they can sell for a profit. How can they pay this levy? The smaller colleges in particular struggle to fund new accomodation as it is. Paul0

11:43am Fri 14 Sep 12

Steps TDCR says...

Myron, I agree with your comments, you make them in a structured and well thought out way and demonstrate an understanding of the history and the problems. I guess closing down the Universities and moving them to Milton Keynes would not sit very high in your manifesto for a better Oxford though, that was my point !
Myron, I agree with your comments, you make them in a structured and well thought out way and demonstrate an understanding of the history and the problems. I guess closing down the Universities and moving them to Milton Keynes would not sit very high in your manifesto for a better Oxford though, that was my point ! Steps TDCR

5:04pm Fri 14 Sep 12

ger elttil OX2 0EJ says...

Paul0 wrote:
Oxford simply does not have enough housing. So the council should encourage housebuilding, not keep thinking of new ways to discourage it. In this case, I would say (1) Building student accomodation could free up city housing for the rest of us, and (2) University colleges are not developers building homes they can sell for a profit. How can they pay this levy? The smaller colleges in particular struggle to fund new accomodation as it is.
Oxford has plenty of housing, it is just very expensive, although it is easy enough to find a nice house within the LHA, the council will pay your rent, or the difference between what you can afford, you are housed adequately and no longer a problem for the housing figures, but a massive problem financially as the £millions paid out to private landlords will show. The answer is no more new land inside the ring road for student housing, until local needs are looked at. Brookes have proved with their Wheatley/Harcourt Hill Campus's that students can live in the surrounding areas quite happily, and a City Centre location is not essential.
[quote][p][bold]Paul0[/bold] wrote: Oxford simply does not have enough housing. So the council should encourage housebuilding, not keep thinking of new ways to discourage it. In this case, I would say (1) Building student accomodation could free up city housing for the rest of us, and (2) University colleges are not developers building homes they can sell for a profit. How can they pay this levy? The smaller colleges in particular struggle to fund new accomodation as it is.[/p][/quote]Oxford has plenty of housing, it is just very expensive, although it is easy enough to find a nice house within the LHA, the council will pay your rent, or the difference between what you can afford, you are housed adequately and no longer a problem for the housing figures, but a massive problem financially as the £millions paid out to private landlords will show. The answer is no more new land inside the ring road for student housing, until local needs are looked at. Brookes have proved with their Wheatley/Harcourt Hill Campus's that students can live in the surrounding areas quite happily, and a City Centre location is not essential. ger elttil OX2 0EJ

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