Oxford College prepares planning proposal for Oxford Parkway homes

Published by

Sam Pither

The University of Oxford’s Christ Church college is preparing a planning application for a residential development near Oxford Parkway station called Water Eaton.

The plans are the result of a series of consultations which began in autumn of 2021, the latest of which closed at the end of July. The development would also feature a new primary school.

The most recent consultation was focused on the location of said primary school as well as strategies to encourage walking, cycling and public transport use.

The college is planning to hold one final public consultation before submitting an outline planning application to Cherwell District Council in autumn of this year.

If the plans are approved, it is hoped construction would begin in 2024 ahead of a finish date in 2030 or 2031. In the Cherwell Local Plan, adopted in 2015, 690 homes are allocated for the area.

James Lawrie, treasurer at Christ Church, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the recent design development consultation on our proposals for Water Eaton.

“From early in the project development process, Christ Church has been committed to realising the benefits of early engagement with community and stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to contribute to the development of the masterplan and help us better understand any potential concerns and possibilities so we can take them into account.

“Having conducted a first stage of consultation on our initial ideas for the site in 2021, we were keen to seek views on various aspects of the emerging design for the scheme. This was to aid the finalisation of the outline planning application for Water Eaton.

“We will be taking into consideration all the comments received during this recent consultation to inform our draft application for the scheme.

“We will then hold a final stage of consultation in autumn 2022, ahead of submitting an outline planning application to Cherwell District Council.”

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.