Big leap forward for Oxford’s Blackbird Leys

Oxford City Council has approved plans for hundreds of new homes in the Blackbird Leys district, along with retail space and community facilities.The plans by housing association Peabody and the city council, its development partner, will cover two areas. Between them, the sites will deliver 294 new homes.A new district centre will include 210 homes. Of these, 174 will be for social or “affordable” rent. The remaining 36 homes will be for shared ownership.There will also be new green spaces, shops, and a community centre, as well as improved roads with a segregated cycle route.A further 84 houses for shared ownership will be built in Knights Road.According to Peabody, the new neighbourhood will be sustainable and eco-friendly. There are plans for a new central green space for “natural informal play”, a nature trail and a community space with residential roof terrace to help promote inter-generational living.Simon Barry, Peabody’s managing director of development, said: “This is an incredible milestone both for the scheme and for the future of Blackbird Leys. We’re pleased that the committee recognised the benefits of the plans.“Every home at Blackbird Leys will be affordable, helping to tackle Oxford’s housing shortage, and we’re proud to be enhancing green spaces, delivering new active travel routes and creating a modern civic heart for this community.“We look forward to continuing our work with Oxford City Council and local residents to bring our vision and ambition for this regeneration to life.”The redevelopment will take place in phases, with work set to begin on the first of the new homes and shops later this year.The community centre will also be delivered as part of the first phase, and the city council and Peabody are working with the community to develop detailed designs.It will be energy efficient and adaptable to support a wider range of community uses. More homes will follow in a second phase, expected to get underway in 2025.Councillor Linda Smith, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is a big leap forward in realising our long-standing ambition to breathe renewed life into Blackbird Leys.“As a former ward councillor for Blackbird Leys, I’m particularly pleased we’ve got the green light for nearly 300 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership, with new and improved shops and community facilities. I’m looking forward to work on the redevelopment starting soon.”Are you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.