DESIGNS of the first homes to be built in the city’s largest housing development in a generation have been revealed.

Barton Park will see more than 880 homes – 343 council-owned –built west of Barton put forward to planners next month.

The Oxford Mail can reveal artists’ impressions of the entrance to the estate, primary street and linear park area for the first time.

There will be three phases of building works for the development and housebuilder Hill has been tasked with designing the entrance to the estate, along with the first of the flats and family homes.

Once phase one is complete, phase two will begin on the land nearest the current Barton estate.

A 315-primary school, which will be managed by Cheney Academy Trust, and a square with shops and small businesses will be built in the later stages of the development.

Chairman of the East Area planning committee Roy Darke, who attended a public presentation to see the housing types, said: “I think phase one of the development is looking pretty good to me.

“It seems that the architects are working to produce a scheme that has very high-quality housing and I’m impressed that they are building lifetime homes. There was an issue with the flats along the A40 about noise pollution but the architects are being flexible so that the main living spaces are away from the main road.

“Barton has a lot going for it and I think it is going to be a good development.”

Mr Darke did have concerns about investment buying in the new estate, and said the city council needed to be “careful” and make sure the housing was adopted and bought by local people.

He also added that the council homes would be offered to people who were already on the waiting list for a home. At the last count in June, the Oxford Mail reported there were 3,500 people on the list.

Oxford City Council previously said the council-owned homes would come at a cost of £53m.

Barton resident and community secretary Sue Holden said: “I was impressed with the look of the buildings. I like the idea of the dual aspect windows which I think would let a lot of natural light into the houses.

“They [Hill] have put a huge amount of thought in to the design of the buildings and where they are in the estate.

“They have spent a lot time to make it look easy on the eye. As long as they can avoid a concrete jungle it should be great.”

Simon Heap, of Waynflete Road, said he thought the development was great, but said it needed building “as soon as possible”.

He added: “The need for the development is great. We can see overcrowding in Barton. I can point to houses that are severely overcrowded. The developers have thought closely about parking and where people can put their litter bin, but I just want to make sure the facilities and transport links are there.”

Pollard Thomas Edwards and Alison Brooks Architects have been tasked with designing the first homes on the land west of Barton. At a presentation to councillors and members of the public last week, architect Theresa Borsuk said this phase of the development would be split into four sections.

Oxford Mail:

  • Masterplan: A map showing the first phase of the development

She added that there were “more than 20 different types” of housing on the estate and said the housing was slightly different depending on where you were in the estate.

The plans show four-storey, one and two bed apartments along the A40, and at the entrance to the main street.

Along the main road there is a mixture of three and four bedroom homes and there will be two-bedroom homes in one section of the estate, known as Gladstone Gardens, as well as a community garden.

Meanwhile a number of five-bed and four-bed private homes will face the Linear Park at the back of the estate.

Work on the first homes is scheduled to start next summer.

WHAT’S PLANNED

THE homes will vary in design across the development, with flats and apartments along the A40, and four and five bedroom waterfront villas being built at the back of the estate with a view of the park.

Some houses will feature dual aspect windows to provide higher levels of natural light. 

The buildings facing the A40 are all apartment buildings exposed to the noise, therefore main living spaces have been designed in the rooms facing away from the road.

But the apartments will act as a noise barrier for the rest of the development.