THE sun was shining as councillors took a top government minister for a tour of Bicester's first self-build development.

Houses are finally starting to rise from the ground at Graven Hill, located on land formerly used by the Ministry of Defence off Rodney House Roundabout.

On Thursday, developers and bosses from partner Cherwell District Council walked the site with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and met the first people to start building there.

Houses in the development are going to have 'panoramic views', district council leader Barry Wood said.

"I was struck by what a gorgeous place it is", he added. "We have now seen construction starting and so you realise people are going to have, side by side, houses they have built from different materials and different designs.

"It is going to be completely different to the 'little boxes on the hillside' style development people are used to.

"Reality has now started to come out of the ground – as opposed to it just being a diagram on a map."

The Graven Hill scheme is the largest of its kind in the country and will comprise 1,900 homes – all self or custom-built – when it is finished.

They will be built over about 10 years, with people able to choose between building their own home completely or choosing from modular designs.

Those who buy plots will be given a so-called 'golden brick' – which will include power and utility connections – to start with and can then build as they wish.

Some parts of the development, such as so-called 'community streets', will give people almost complete design freedom, while other sections, such as the 'tree-lined boulevard', will give people flexibility within constraints.

Mr Wood added: "The point is these will be houses people want, not what is available. It is also much cheaper than buying a normal house."

Ian Corkin, a district councillor and director of Graven Hill, said the scheme was inspired by developments in Holland.

He said: "There is nothing of this scale like it being done in the UK.

"Early indications are very good and we were really keen to get all kinds of people in.

"One of the pieces of work going on is on the mortgage market, because self-build mortgages are more awkward.

"They are not as well-developed as a traditional mortgage so we are working on that with a panel of members."

Banbury MP Victoria Prentis, whose constituency includes Bicester, said the development would be 'amazing'.

Mrs Prentis said she built her own home in Somerton with husband Sebastian about 14 years ago.

The 45-year-old added: "We love it and it has been a great place to bring up our children, but it is very hard work.

"The other thing about self-build is you really make a different type of community, because you and your neighbours have all slogged away together."

Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth added the scheme was 'fantastic'.

Communities Secretary Mr Javid said: "I was delighted to have a tour of the innovative Graven Hill development.

"This impressive concept will provide many people with a home they can call their own and I’m pleased to see so much interest already."