Housing growth in the Kidlington area will be supported by a new programme to oversee the delivery of infrastructure.
Published: Friday, 2nd February 2024
A meeting of Cherwell District Council’s executive on Monday 5 February gave the go-ahead to the new programme, which will be called the Kidlington Infrastructure and Community Asset Strategy.
Councillor Donna Ford, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said: “The Kidlington area is set to experience considerable growth in the coming years, as we deliver on our commitment to help address Oxford’s housing need.
“We have ambitious policies for Kidlington, including in areas such as affordable housing, reducing carbon emissions; and protecting and enhancing green spaces. We also very clear that new homes must be supported by early delivery of infrastructure such as highways and active travel.
“This important new programme puts us on the front foot when it comes to coordinating delivery of these policies and engaging with the community to help support our healthy place shaping ambitions too.”
The programme will complete a trio of place-based programmes for the district, following the example of Banbury Vision 2050 and the Reimagining Bicester work being done in connection with the Garden Town programme.
Work to drive forward the Kidlington project will be funded from the council’s own budget, but in future years will increasingly make use of developer contributions. These are funds provided by housing developers under legal agreements linked to planning permissions to build new homes, places of work, and other infrastructure.
The programme will have full time officer support, with a new role being created to manage a strategic oversight board including the town, district and county councils; and co-ordinate with the community, developers, and other stakeholders.