The council has begun work on 10 new low-carbon council homes on a former depot site.

The development, Youngs Way, is situated in Littlemore, off Lanham Way, with Oxford City Council overseeing its construction.

Six semi-detached two-bedroom houses and four semi-detached three-bedroom houses are part of the plan.

 

 

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These homes will incorporate brick along with frontal gables and front gardens enclosed by low stone boundary walls, aligning with the character of the nearby Littlemore conservation area.

The namesake of the development, Martin Young, served as vicar at the Church of St Mary and St Nicholas from 1951 to 1964.

The council anticipates the completion of the development in about a year, with foundational and piling work having already commenced.

Youngs Way's design prioritises sustainability, adhering to a 'fabric first' approach that focuses on enhanced insulation and air tightness standards.

Coupling this with the orientation of the living spaces for optimal sunlight exposure ensures maximum energy efficiency and lowered carbon emissions.

In line with the council's carbon reduction targets, the homes will utilise electricity as the primary source of heating, facilitated by air source heat pumps.

The move aims to decrease reliance on gas, given the residential buildings account for 29 per cent of Oxford's emissions.

The heat pumps are also cost-efficient, generating three times the heat for the same price as regular electric heaters and catering to heating and hot water requirements.

Rooftop solar PV panels will help cover day-time electricity needs.

The building method for the homes will be timber frame construction, which entails large panels being pre-assembled at a factory before being brought to the site later.

This construction method is faster, has a lesser carbon footprint and is less disruptive to the community than traditional measures.

The houses will have the provision for adaptations to meet future needs.

Among the nine parking spaces at Youngs Way, three will be blue badge spaces, one car club space and all will have EV charging.

Following completion, half of the homes will be available as council homes for people enlisted on the housing register, while the remaining will be offered for shared ownership through the Council's housing company OX Place.

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, said: "Youngs Way will provide genuinely affordable homes for families on our waiting list and help people who would be priced out of Oxford onto the housing ladder.

"The development will also be highly energy efficient, helping us meet our carbon reduction targets and providing comfortable, cheaper to run homes for the people who will live in them."