MORE than 200 new homes could be built at a field near central Oxford in coming years.

Plans to build at the nine-acre Redbridge Paddock site off Abingdon Road are part of a scheme to build more than 10,884 new homes in Oxford by 2036.

The new development, opposite Redbridge Park and Ride, would fill a field that backs onto the River Thames with homes, half of which would be 'affordable'.

And 80 of those 'affordable homes' would be rented out as council houses.

Oxford City Council wants to build the new homes through its housing company, Oxford City Housing Limited, and is now investigating what groundworks need to be carried out to build there.

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Alex Hollingsworth, the city council's cabinet member for planning and housing delivery, said: “Oxford needs more affordable housing and we’re now taking the first steps that will enable us to deliver over 200 new homes on the Redbridge Paddock site.

"More than 80 of these will be genuinely affordable homes for families on our housing register."

Oxford Mail:

Alex Hollingsworth. Picture: Jon Lewis

The new homes are also likely to be highly energy-efficient, after the city council pledged to tighten up environmental regulations for all homes built in Oxford as part of its new Local Plan.

According to the council, new developments in the city now have to go 40 per cent further than Government targets on carbon emissions.

The council plans to achieve this through energy-efficient and 'airtight' buildings; low-energy lighting and solar panels across the new homes.

READ MORE about Oxford's Local Plan and what's in it here

Mr Hollingsworth added: “Last year the council declared a climate emergency in Oxford and Redbridge Paddock will help us to meet our carbon reduction targets by building greener and promoting biodiversity and active travel.

"These measures will also help draw on the lessons of our Barton Healthy New Town project by designing healthy living into the new development.”

Oxford has very few large sites where homes can be built left within its boundaries, and this will be the largest housing development in the city since the 885 home development in Barton Park.

The city council is also planning to build permanent boat moorings for Oxford's houseboat community along the river at the site.

Oxford Mail:

There is currently a single boat mooring at Redbridge Paddock, but the council is yet to decide how many more it wants to build there.

Other new council houses are being built across the city, including at Bracegirdle Road and Chillingworth Crescent, Wood Farm, and Broad Oak in Marston.

Oxford regularly tops lists of being one of the most unaffordable places to live in the UK for both renters and people buying homes.

The city council said that approximately 3,000 families are currently on the council house waiting list.