Local authority owned housing in South Oxfordshire gets £10 million boost
Ten million pounds has been made available to purchase new housing for South Oxfordshire, following a decision by councillors.
The money had been earmarked for a proposed new building at the Gateway site in Didcot, opposite the railway station, which would have played a major part in the regeneration of the town centre, included office space for staff from both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, alongside space available for commercial tenants.
However, following a government announcement that local councils will be restructured, district councils are expected to be replaced in a few years by unitary councils covering a larger area. This means that the business case for the building is no longer appropriate and so the Cabinet at South Oxfordshire District Council has agreed, subject to final approval by Council on 17 July, to cease all work on the new building and repurpose some of the funds so they can be used to purchase housing for the area instead.
The Planning Committee resolved to grant permission for the office subject to a legal agreement last week. Once this agreement is signed and the planning decision issued, the council has committed to install a 500kVA power supply. This will future proof the site and mean any future unitary council would be able to look again at the possibility of developing the site, although that would be a decision for Members elected to the new council. The planning application was submitted in August 2023, 16 months before the government’s announcement, and it made financial sense to complete this phase before stopping the project.
Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This site is the first thing you see when you arrive at Didcot Station and, as such, it needs to say something about the town. Some people see the town as a dormitory for people who work somewhere else, characterised by housing estates and car parks. We see it as something different, a vibrant town where people can live, work and play. That is why we wanted this site to be a beautiful modern building containing work and community space and surrounded by inviting public spaces.”
“Local Government Reorganisation has put a stop to that, but it made good sense to complete the planning process to provide any future unitary council with the flexibility to build what is best for them once the council reorganisation process has completed.”
He added: “Providing genuinely affordable housing is a huge priority for us. Committing funds to increasing the council-owned housing in our district will make a big difference to those who need it most.”
The district council became a social landlord again in 2023, two decades after originally selling its housing stock. The new houses will contribute to the council’s housing strategy, will support those most in need for housing in the area, and will support the future unitary council in continuing to address the need for temporary accommodation and social housing in the area.
This funding will be targeted at the anticipated purchase of approximately 30 units of suitable housing for use as temporary accommodation or general needs housing based on an analysis of the demand of both temporary accommodation and the council’s current housing register.
The housing location of the housing will be based on the professional advice of housing and property officers to ensure it is suitable to meet the wider needs of individuals in social housing, factoring in key considerations such as transport connectivity and access to local services.
