Oxford North: First new homes in £500m development approved

Oxford North is a major development on land near the A34, A40 and A44 in the city

The first tranche of homes to be built as part of a £500m development set to bring 4,800 new jobs has been approved.

Oxford North will be built by Thomas White Oxford (TWO), which is owned by St John's College, on land near the A34, A40 and the A44.

TWO says it will form the city's "new life sciences district".

The first 317 homes, to be built as part of The Hill Group's Canalside development, were approved by Oxford City Council.

Outline planning permission for the Oxford North masterplan was granted by the authority in March 2021.

TWO and The Hill Group said there will be a mix of homes on the new development

The developer said the homes would range from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom family homes, with a mix of private sales and those designated affordable.

Building is set to start on the new homes later this year.

Cutteslowe and Sunnymead city councillor Andrew Gant said he had concerns about biodiversity and noise on the proposed site.

But Oxford City Council's planning committee approved the scheme unanimously on Thursday.

William Donger, TWO's chief executive, said: "We welcome the planning committee's decision to approve these much-needed new and affordable homes so that The Hill Group can start on site.

"This is another major step in delivering Oxford North as a new innovation district designed for living, working and visiting and we look forward to seeing these new homes being built and jobs created."