THE first of a new generation of more than 1,000 council houses to address Oxford’s housing crisis have been built and are ready to rent out.

The first two homes in a massive new building programme, which will see 1,125 new council houses built under the watch of Oxford City Council, have been completed.

Keys to the homes, in Harts Close, Kidlington, have been handed to the council, after its housebuilding company, Oxford City Housing Limited, finished work.

The new homes are part of the most significant council housing programme in Oxford since the 1970s, and are part of a drive to address the housing crisis in Oxford, a city where half of all homes are now in the private rented sector and house prices are soaring.

ALSO READ: Family of Uffington White Horse murder victim Sian O'Callaghan call for law change

Alex Hollingsworth, city council cabinet member for planning and housing delivery, said: “These two homes are the first step in a journey for OCHL to build nearly 1,900 homes in and around Oxford over the next 10 years. In line with our Local Plan, OCHL homes represent an investment in Oxford’s future by building greener now and zero carbon by 2030. OCHL is building the right homes for Oxford’s families and this will benefit everyone in our city.”

Land to build new homes in Oxford is in short supply, so in its Local Plan, the council has designated small scraps of land throughout the city as new places where homes can be built.

Housing handover at Harts Close in Kidlington. Picture: Ed Nix

Housing handover at Harts Close in Kidlington. Picture: Ed Nix

They include Redbridge Paddock, a former landfill site opposite the park and ride, which was recently deemed safe to build on after ground testing.

Other sites have been contentious, because the council wants to build new homes on open areas of green space.

A plan to build as many as 33 homes at New Hinksey Playground on Bertie Place, known locally as Bertie Park, has recently met with resistance from local families.

And plans for 29 homes at Iffley Fields drew the ire of locals last year, including the folk singer Peggy Seeger who lives in the village.

But Oxford needs homes as it is regularly cited as the least affordable place for housing in the UK.

According to the Office for National Statistics the median house price was £395,000 – 12.55 times median gross earnings (£31,472) in the city. For England as a whole, the median house price is 7.83 times median earnings.

Half (of homes in Oxford are now in the private rented sector, where the ONS reports a median private rent of £1,500 a month for a three-bedroom home. The equivalent amount for England as a whole is £795.

Many of Oxford’s most important workers cannot afford to live in the city. They are now living in Bicester, Banbury or Witney and face lengthy commutes on overcrowded roads every day.

Housing handover at Harts Close in Kidlington. Picture: Ed Nix

Housing handover at Harts Close in Kidlington. Picture: Ed Nix

The Harts close homes feature solar panels and three double bedrooms.

OCHL is currently building 144 homes on 12 sites around Oxford, with more than 50 of these expected to be completed over the summer. The housing company is preparing to submit planning applications for over 100 more homes during the same period.

Over 10 years, OCHL aims to build 1,891 homes for rent and sale in and around Oxford.

Together with 354 council homes being built at Barton Park, this will see a total of 1,125 council homes providing the genuinely affordable housing that Oxford needs.

The others will either be in shared ownership, or sold at market value to cover the costs of building.