Councillors Linda Smith and Nigel Chapman joined representatives from OX Place – Oxford City Council's wholly owned housing company – Oxford City Council, Homes England and construction partner Cantay Estates for a ribbon-cutting at Keepers Place on Wednesday 24 June, marking completion of the first stage of the fully affordable scheme in Littlemore.

The initial handover provides homes for social rent, offering much-needed affordable housing for people on the council's housing register.

Once complete, Keepers Place will comprise 90 affordable homes: a mix of one- and two-bedroom flats, two-bedroom houses and larger three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes. Of these, 47 will be for social rent and 43 available through shared ownership, supported by grant funding from Homes England. The remaining phases are due to finish by early 2027.

Developed on the site of a former oil depot off Railway Lane, the project is bringing a long-derelict brownfield plot back into use as a sustainable neighbourhood. It also improves local walking connections, including a new route through to Thompson Terrace.

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All homes are fully electric and use air source heat pumps. With a fabric-first design to cut energy use and household bills, every property is expected to achieve an EPC rating of B or above. The scheme delivers more than a 65% reduction in carbon emissions compared with the 2022 Building Regulations.

Residents will benefit from landscaped communal areas, biodiversity enhancements, improved pedestrian routes and facilities that support sustainable travel, including electric vehicle charging points.

Social rent typically equates to around 40% of the rent a private landlord would charge for a similar home. Shared ownership offers a flexible route onto the housing ladder in one of the UK's most unaffordable cities.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: "This marks an important milestone here in Littlemore, as we celebrate the completion of the first social rent homes at Keepers Place, where we will soon be welcoming the first residents to this new community.

"Oxford urgently needs more genuinely affordable homes, and developments like this show how, with the help of our partners we can transform brownfield land back into use to help meet that need. These new, high-quality homes will give local people and families the opportunity to remain in the city they call home while benefiting from lower-carbon, energy-efficient living.

"Through OX Place, we are building hundreds of affordable homes across Oxford. Keepers Place is one of our largest developments and will ultimately provide 90 affordable homes, making a significant contribution to tackling Oxford's housing crisis."