2:51pm Thursday 31st January 2008
Oxford University has been given planning permission by the Vale of White Horse District Council to build 150 homes west of the city on land previously safeguarded from such development by the Local Plan and in spite of objections from local residents.
The article suggests this development is to include houses for sale on the open market, with 40 per cent affordable housing. Can this be true?
The university is also planning a development on the old paper mill site in Wolvercote for its own staff to rent, with no housing for sale and, possibly, no affordable housing.
This development is set to increase the population of Lower Wolvercote by 40 per cent, which poses many obvious concerns for local people, including infrastrucure, traffic and parking.
It creates little employment, contrary to the Oxford Local Plan.
It has been suggested to the Wolvercote Commoners' Committee that the site would be ideal for the proposed Bodleian book store, providing much needed local employment, less demand on the infrastructure and fewer traffic worries.
Also, bearing in mind concerns whether any building on this site might add to local flood risk, such a building could adopt the innovative idea of a grass roof.
This ecological solution would be particularly appropriate for a semi-rural area such as Wolvercote. Would there be support for this idea?
Why is the university, on the one hand, wanting to build properties to rent to its staff, and on the other hand, building properties to sell?
If it so badly needs staff accommodation, why is it buying back homes at Jordan Hill and Webbs Close and renting them out on the open market?
It refuses to sell those homes to its former employees, who currently own the leases, despite this being possible with a legally agreed price formula.
The above examples show the university's housing strategy to be not only confusing, but to be with a total disregard for local people.
What do your readers think?
ANGIE GOFF Jordan Hill Oxford
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