EIGHT plots for custom-built affordable homes are set to be created on a former playground in Chipping Norton. 

West Oxfordshire District Council has owned the site on Walterbush Road since 1968 and plans to sell it off to developer GreenAxis. 

A report revealed that the council “has been exploring opportunities to utilise the site” in this way to try to cater for the 80 individuals or families in the district looking for somewhere to put a self-build home – where the owner commissions the design in line with their requirements and lifestyle.

The venture is not without its complexities, though. 

The council report also acknowledges that without the homes being affordable – offered at 20 per cent or more below the market rate – the scheme is “unlikely to be granted planning permission” due to the land’s previous community use.

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The council therefore plans to stump up £261,000 – £40,000 to cover the planning application and £221,000 to make up some of the estimated £536,000 GreenAxis will lose out on by committing to affordable homes – to make the project happen.

That cash will come from existing and unallocated section 106 money – funding that is collected from developers and spent on services, infrastructure, highways, recreational facilities, education, health and affordable housing.

The council will recoup £250,000 from the sale of the land at market rate.

Labour councillor Geoff Saul, who represents Chipping Norton and is West Oxfordshire’s cabinet member for housing and social welfare, described the affordable element as “baked into future sales and purchases”, meaning homeowners cannot profit from the 20 per cent discount before selling on at the full price.

That principle is detailed in the report but it also acknowledges that “requirements must not restrict sale or be too complicated” and “not all mortgage lenders will lend on discount market homes”, adding that if the “clause becomes restrictive it will be revisited”. 

One option to address this would be to allow the full-price sale to go through with “a default position of repaying WODC 20 per cent of the market value at point of sale”.

Mr Saul said: “Our officers have worked incredibly hard to come up with a scheme that meets with so many of this council’s aims and objectives. It will deliver and promote additional affordable housing, using section 106 money that is earmarked for that purpose.

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“It will promote custom-built homes, for which affordable plots are in very short supply, and it gives us the ability to model some built examples of our net-zero carbon toolkit.

“We are also trying to ensure there will be a measure of community benefit provided. This was formerly some amenity land for the town, although it has not been used for anything for a while and superseded by newer play areas.

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“The idea is that there should be an electric vehicle charging hub available for the community at that end of Chipping Norton, possibly an EV car club and some dedicated allotment space and compost club space.

“All in all I think this is a really positive and well thought-out proposal.”