CHAKA Artwell (Letters, May 3) is absolutely right that Oxford City Council most certainly needs to back plans by Oxford University and others for 4,000+ key worker homes to be built within Oxford’s boundaries in the years ahead, sooner rather than later.

As quoted in the Oxford Mail on March 3, Professor William James, Oxford pro vice-chancellor for planning, stated that the proposed redevelopment of Osney Mead and of Diamond Place in Summertown could bring a total of 850 homes in what he hopes could be up to 2,000 “affordable rented homes for employees” and “a further 2,000 ….. for postgraduate students.”, with the presumption that Oxford’s colleges would follow the university and also be prepared to make land available.

This isn’t, of course, just a matter of what constitutes affordable housing which prescribes that affordable rent should cost no more than 80 per cent of the average local market rent (in Oxford from £1,000+ for a one-bedroom flat to £2,000+ for a three-bedroom house; for house rental, just keep counting). For purchase, mortgage payments should be more than would be paid in rent for council housing but below market levels. Given that the average cost of a house in Oxford is currently 16 times average annual earnings, it will be clear that those on low to middle incomes can neither afford to buy or to rent within Oxford’s borders.

For Oxford University, Oxford University Hospitals, and Oxford Brookes to provide affordable accommodation for a Band 1 nurse on £15, 251pa, Band 6 on £26,202, a lab technician on £21,000, a DPhil student on a research grant of £14,057, then the city council would certainly need to apply for special land use status for key worker accommodation; and should.

Then there’s the matter of charitable status, which compels Oxford and its colleges (etc) to achieve maximum financial value from their projects, which has already blocked construction of affordable housing in the city. This must also change. But when?

BRUCE ROSS-SMITH
Bowness Avenue
Headington