The first affordable homes to be built as part of the regeneration of Oxford’s Blackbird Leys are on track to be ready for new residents from this summer.
84 shared ownership homes, currently being built by Peabody and Oxford City Council at Knight’s Road, will be made available in a phased rollout between this summer and next spring. They will offer people an affordable route into home ownership.
Next spring will also bring 61 brand new homes for social rent in the District Centre. These one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, also currently under construction, will go to households on the council’s housing waiting list, helping to meet the huge demand for social rent homes in the city. A further 51 social rent apartments are expected to be finished in 2027.
Recently The Hill Group held a ‘topping out’ ceremony to officially mark the construction of the first block of social homes reaching its highest point. It was a significant milestone for the two-phase regeneration project, which will ultimately see a total of 294 new homes built in the District Centre and in Knights Road. The mix of houses and flats will accommodate larger families as well as smaller households.
The project will also bring a raft of improvements to the District Centre, with new shops, green spaces, dedicated cycle routes and a purpose-built community centre. A detailed planning application for the new community centre – to be owned and run by the council – was submitted in October, following extensive consultation with local people. The application is expected to be decided by Oxford City Council’s planning committee in early summer.
