Issue - meetings

At its meeting on 17 March 2021 Cabinet will consider a report on a proposal for funding through the Oxfordshire Growth Deal and S106 affordable housing commuted sums to support the development of an affordable housing scheme.

The confidential report of the acting deputy chief executive - place which Cabinet will consider on 17 March is attached.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to all councillors following the Cabinet meeting.

Councillor Judy Roberts declared a personal interest in this item, as she had been involved with it since 2007, and left the meeting during its consideration. 

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendation, made at its meeting on 17 March 2021, on a proposal for funding through the Oxfordshire Growth Deal and S106 affordable housing commuted sums to support the development of an affordable housing scheme of eight units at Eynsham Road, Dean Court, Cumnor.

The project would provide eight affordable one and two-bedroomed apartments at Dean Court, Cumnor.  This would be largely funded by affordable housing money provided through the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal and topped up by section 106 funding set aside to support such affordable housing schemes. 

The risks of funding the project had been addressed with mitigating measures and a condition of the agreement would be that the Oxfordshire Community Land Trust must be a Registered Social Landlord, a status which it had not yet been achieved, but an application was pending for approval by the Regulator of Social Housing. 

The affordable housing would meet local need, which had been demonstrated in a recent neighbourhood plan survey, and contribute to the council’s corporate plan objective of providing homes by working with community trusts. 

RESOLVED: to create a capital budget of £944,000 towards the Oxfordshire Community Land Trust affordable housing scheme at Dean Court, Eynsham Road, Botley, comprising a virement of £600,000 from the existing capital budget for Growth Deal affordable housing and funded by the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, and £344,000 funded from Section 106 affordable housing commuted sums, from the Westway, Botley scheme (£194,000) and the Former Warnborough College, Boars Hill scheme (£150,000).

To consider the report of the acting deputy chief executive – place. 

Cabinet made a recommendation to Council to support the Oxfordshire Community Land Trust project to provide affordable homes in Cumnor.