New strategy and plan approved for more affordable homes

Plans to help provide genuinely affordable homes in South Oxfordshire have been approved.

A new housing delivery strategy and action plan was agreed by Cabinet Members at South Oxfordshire District Council at a meeting earlier this month. As part of the plans, the council hopes to deliver some of their own social housing in the future to help residents on lower incomes access safe and secure affordable housing.

The delivery strategy will also help the council’s aims to tackle the climate emergency to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging developers to use sustainable materials while building well-designed energy efficient housing. It also aims to encourage housing providers and residents to access grant funding to help retrofit their homes to reduce their carbon footprint.

The action plan will look at how the council can help community led housing initiatives to build new homes and, where appropriate, provide grant funding and developer contributions to help make the schemes financially viable.

This builds on the work the council has already done to provide funds to support new homes. Earlier this year the council gave £1.2 million towards the cost of creating new affordable housing in Henley and Thame. In Wheatley, 12 zero carbon affordable homes are set to be built with help from the council. The developers will use sustainable materials during construction and install equipment that does not release any additional carbon into the atmosphere.

Cllr Robin Bennett, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to approve our new housing delivery strategy because it sets out the ways in which we can help to bring more affordable homes to those who need them most. We’re working hard to put our plans into action, including our intention to deliver our own affordable housing whilst we continue to do all we can to tackle climate change.”

Funding for the new housing delivery strategy and action plan is expected to be discussed at the next Council meeting for consideration for approval on 8 December.