Future Housing
The rate of housing construction in Oxfordshire has shown a downward trend since the late 1990s and is not keeping pace with demand.
Only 18% of the dwellings built in Oxfordshire between 1996 to 2002 were classed as affordable.
The average Oxfordshire house price increased by 96% from 1999 to 2004.
The price of an average semi-detached house in Oxfordshire increased from around:
The national average ratio meanwhile increased to five.
New homes
There are currently proposals for 8,500 new homes within South Oxfordshire by 2016, with 5055 of these being built by 2011.
http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/
Future growth of Didcot
Didcot, with its excellent rail links, is one of the towns where housing expansion will be concentrated. There are plans for houses to be built to the west of Didcot to meet some of the demand over the next ten years.
Didcot population growth
The population of Didcot could rise well above 32,000 by 2011. It could increase to about 45,000 if, in addition to the development already planned, a further 3,000 - 4,000 houses were built over the 10 to 15 years after 2016.
Where will the new housing be located? What kind of houses are planned?
Planners expect that:
How can the new housing be made more sustainable?
New housing projects offer an opportunity to introduce a full range of energy, water and waste saving measures that can give financial payback over the life of a property.
Current research indicates that a 25% improvement in resource efficiency has a maximum extra capital cost of £800 per home. These improvements deliver savings to residents through reduced utility bills of approximately £138 a year. (from 2005 speech by Elliot Morley, Govt. Minister for Climate Change and Environment).
