Wanted: your views on houses in multiple occupation

The City Council is currently consulting on the HMO licensing scheme in Oxford City and is proposing to renew the scheme.

Council staff want to reach as many residents as possible for their views. There will be a drop in session at the library where you can come and speak to a member of Council staff, find out more about the consultation and fill in a paper questionnaire if you want to.

 

28 July from 2pm to 4pm at Headington library

 

Residents can also fill out the questionnaire online via the main council webpage http://www.oxford.gov.uk/consultation and clicking on the “open consultation” link.

 

Latest planning news

The latest planning applications have been uploaded here.

They relate to properties in Gardiner Street, Staunton Road, Windmill Road and the JR.

Ruth has called in the application to build student housing and maisonettes on the junction of Latimer Road and London Road for adjudication by East Area Planning Committee.

And just to show that repeated applications do get through eventually, the St Leonard’s Road one has been given delegated approval.

15/00370/FUL PERMITTED

Demolition of existing store. Erection of 1 x 2-bed dwelling (Use Class C3).

Store Adjacent 79 St Leonard’s Road

15/00455/FUL PERMITTED

Erection of a first floor side and rear extension.

190 Headley Way Oxford

Rents for new homes next to Bury Knowle Park

In response to resident concern, we have asked the City Council to clarify the rents for the new social and affordable units at Lock’s Court. It seems that 5 of the originally advertised charges were not accurate and they will be re-advertised.

Here is the response we have received from the City Council.

The social rents are set around 47% of the market rent for the property type for the area. In addition to the rent, relevant service charges are also due.

The affordable housing units are set at either 60% of market rent (Lock’s Court) or 78% of market rent (the remainder). There are no service charges for the affordable units as they are considered inclusive of the rent.

As a result of these conditions, there will be always be some properties with a much higher charge than identical properties, however .. the demand for the affordable rent properties is very high nonetheless.

We have however identified a problem with the recent advertisements for the 5 affordable rent properties in that the rent shown was at 78%, not 60% as it should have been. Although the demand was high, we are aware that many applicants may have been put off from bidding because of the additional rental cost, including potentially some of those in greatest housing need. As a result, we will be re-advertising those properties with the correct rent figures. We will be contacting those who have made bids to explain and apologise for the mix up. The social rental properties advertised are unaffected.

The table below shows the correct charges for each property. The total charge includes rent debit, and where appropriate (for social housing) charges for care taking and cleaning, grounds maintenance, LL Lighting, TV and aerial repairs, and service. The affordable homes are on first floor level.

 

House No. Rental Type No of Beds Permitted number

Total Debit
1 LOCK’S COURT SOCIAL 2 4  £121.85
2 LOCK’S COURT AFFORDABLE 2 4  £142.34
3 LOCK’S COURT SOCIAL 2 4  £121.85
4 LOCK’S COURT AFFORDABLE 1 2  £124.38
5 LOCK’S COURT SOCIAL 2 4  £121.85
6 LOCK’S COURT AFFORDABLE 2 3  £142.34
7 LOCK’S COURT SOCIAL 3 5  £136.03
8 LOCK’S COURT AFFORDABLE 1 2  £124.38
9 LOCK’S COURT SOCIAL 2 3  £121.85
10 LOCK’S COURT AFFORDABLE 2 4  £142.34

 

 

Revised plans for Latimer Road student flats

Frontier Estates have revised their plans for developing the site 36, 38, 40 London Road and 2 Latimer Road for student accommodation, and are mounting a Public Exhibition on Tuesday 27th January 2015 between 4 and 8 pm.  Please note the venue is:

St Clement’s Family Centre, Cross Street, Oxford OX4 1DA.

(coming from Headington, Cross Street is the last road on the left down Morrell Avenue)

PLEASE NOTE A presentation from Oxford Brookes on the number of students living in Headington will form part of the Headington Ward Focus Meeting at Headington Baptist Church Hall, Old High Street from 6pm that same evening

The City Deal bid – what’s it all about?

Please click here to find out!

A report on the city deal bid will be discussed at a meeting of the City Executive Board next week. Oxford has submitted an expression of interest in bidding for government funding which focused on transformational growth through stimulating the local knowledge economy. The combination of the two world class universities and ‘Big Science’ in the Science Vale are central to the bid.

The City Deal Bid Team comprises representatives from the six local authorities, the Local Enterprise Partnership, University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes Universities and representatives of Science and Research organisations at Harwell and Culham has been overseeing the development of the bid. The County Council has chaired the Bid Team and been leading on co-ordination with support provided by the City Council.

This report sets out an ‘ambition’ statement which form the basis for discussions with partners and Government civil servants advising the Bid Team and will continue through to submission of the final Negotiation Document in October 2013.

North Place doors get the go ahead

Progress to report on our campaign to get new front doors for some North Place residents! The City Council has now instructed Nationwide windows have been instructed to replace the existing front doors at North Place with a composite type door which we hope will cut down draughts. They will be arranging to survey individual flats within next 2-3 weeks. Installation will commence  6-8 weeks after survey. We shall watch these welcome developments with interest and a keen eye to make sure they go ahead without delay!

East Area Planning decisions: Park Depot, Lime Walk & Old High Street

Three Headington planning applications were considered at Tuesday’s East Area Planning Committee

The following were approved subject to conditions but are subject to call-in before the decisions are finally permitted

 

Parks Depot, Bury Knowle Park 12/02623/CT3 and 12/02622/CT3

(1)   Conservation Area Consent for demolition of brick shed and former mess building.

(2) Erection of 5 x 3-bed, 3 x 2-bed and 2 x 1-bed flats (use class C3) arranged around central courtyard together with cycle and bin store.

Land adjacent to the rear of 73-81 Lime Walk: 13/00174/FUL

To demolish the existing buildings.  Erection of 2 x 3/4 bedroom houses fronting Lime Walk and two storey office building fronting All Saints Road.  Provision of cycle and bin stores (amendment to planning permission 11/00648/FUL)

29 Old High Street: 13/00311/FUL and 13/00312/CAC

Partial demolition of existing house and demolition of existing garages and outbuildings. Erection of two storey side and rear extension.  Provision of new access, car parking and turning area.  Rebuilding of stone boundary wall fronting Old High Street. (Amended plans).

Conservation area consent (13/00312/CAC) for partial demolition of existing house, boundary wall and complete demolition of existing garages and outbuildings. (Amended plans)

 

The application re the Parks Depot is being called in, but it won’t be till Friday evening that we shall know whether the call-in to Planning Review Committee has been successful.

Help your Lib Dem councillors take action to fill empty homes

Did you know that Empty Homes Week starts on November 26th? It is a real scandal that when so many people want a home to live in, the previous Labour government let numbers of empty homes rocket upwards.

Thanks to Lib Dem pressure the government has been working hard on turning this round and filling empty homes. Lib Dem Andrew Stunell MP announced earlier this year that £160 million was being put towards this goal. This included £70m allocated to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing and £60m for local authorities to do this, as well as £30m for community groups or voluntary organisations leading local schemes.

In September 2012, the Government announced it would bring a further 5,000 empty homes back into use. The number of empty properties has fallen from a high of 783,119 under Labour to 709,426 under the current government. A lot still to do but Lib Dem action in government is tackling Labour’s neglect.

The government also announced in September 2012 that local authorities had brought nearly 38,000 long term empty homes back into use over the past two years through the New Homes Bonus Scheme. Under the scheme, where local authorities build new homes or convert empty properties back into use, the Government match-funds the additional council tax raised, with an additional amount for affordable homes, for the following six years. In this way, £63m additional funding has been released for local communities thanks to Lib Dems within Government working hard.

And the Government is now allowing councils to charge the full amount of Council Tax on empty homes – with an extra 50% premium for homes left empty for more than 2 years.

Do you know of an empty home in Headington Ward? You can let us know by clicking on Report a problem  in the top right corner of the screen and we will work together to put pressure on the council and try and fill them!