THE PARISH COUNCIL’S CAMPAIGN FOR LOW COST HOUSING

Towards the end of 1988 a well respected resident of Appleton raised with a member of the Appleton Parish Council (APC) the problem of elderly people living in Appleton, who, because of advancing years, needed to find accommodation in the village which was smaller in size than that which they currently occupied. There were long standing residents of Appleton who wished to remain in the village during their declining years.

The APC considered the problem and it was suggested that young people might also wish to remain in the village. It was decided to undertake a survey of the housing needs in the village, and we were given help by the Rural Housing Trust whose logo includes the words ‘Homes for Village People’. A questionnaire based on one that the Trust had used elsewhere was circulated to every household in the villages of Appleton and Eaton. Some 440 copies of this questionnaire were distributed of which 198 (45%) were returned.

To the surprise of the APC the results showed a pressing need for houses for young people. Some 50 households reported sons or daughters who were or would be looking for accommodation in the foreseeable future and some 80% of these stated a preference to stay within the village. The survey also showed that there was considerable support for buying, although renting appeared by no means to be unacceptable.

It was also interesting to note that only 25% of those who replied were opposed to the construction of further housing in the village.

With these results in mind it was decided to attempt to find land which could be developed for low cost housing preferably for villagers with the option of such housing being available on a shared equity basis if desired.

With the help of the Rural Housing Trust (RHT) an approach was made to the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) regarding land to the south of Oaksmere which had been used by the village as a children’s playground but owing to its infrequent use had been abandoned some time previously. The APC had been paying a rental to the VWHDC of some £2 a year. Unfortunately the VWHDC set a price of £280,000 for the land, a figure which ruled out its use for low cost housing.

Another suggestion was to build such homes on part of the Manor with access from Park Lane but considerable alterations would have been required to Park Lane itself with con¬sequential high cost and this was also ruled out.

A third suggestion was to build on the little used allotments in Netherton road and although this land lies between two groups of existing houses, the actual site is within the Oxford Green Belt. The owner of the land - St John’s College - was approached and agreed to sell a parcel of land for £10,000 and it was suggested that 5 houses should be built for selling on a shared-equity basis. Although the proposal generated opposition within the village, a second survey broadly supported the earlier survey so it was decided to go ahead with a Planning Application. This was made by the Rural Housing Trust with the support of the APC in July 1991 but in November of that year the VWHDC decided to defer approval of the application until such time as it had decided on its policy regarding special needs for housing within the Green Belt. The RHT and the APC decided not to challenge this ruling and the matter was left in abeyance.

Some 4 to 5 years later in a letter dated 18 March 1996 it was stated that ‘the planning application appears to have been deferred rather than refused, pending a revision of the Council’s policies concerning exceptional sites for housing within the Green Belt.’ This has now been resolved that such sites will not be permitted.

In 1992 the APC was given to understand that the original land adjacent to Oaksmere was to he developed by the Oxford Citizens Housing Association but the houses would be for renting and subject to nomination by the VWHDC and not necessarily only for Appleton residents, although it appeared that attempts would be made to accommodate such applicants.

Since that time (1992), in spite of considerable efforts by the APC, progress was very slow. Plans were drawn up for the OCHA in 1994 and a planning application made in December of that year for 7 houses.

As would be expected, a number of objections from residents adjacent to the proposed development were lodged with the VWHDC but full planning approval was given in October 1997.

On February 2nd 1998 an APC meeting was held at which the OCHA was represented as well as a number of residents from the Oaksmere area. Considerable concern was expressed by the residents that the new proposals, which reduced the width of the access road, were completely unacceptable. Equally, it was pointed out that there were likely to be problems with flooding adjacent to the brook.

The OCHA representatives agreed to discuss the problems with various Authorities as a matter of urgency.

OCHA further indicated that the allocation of funds for the purchase of the land had to be utilised in the current financial year or the project would fail.

So in 1998, some nine years after the first indication of a need for low cost housing for Appleton residents only, the scheme met that need, but it did not meet the original aim - of providing houses for Appleton residents on a shared equity basis.

In 1999 seven houses were built and the first occupants all had village connections - either family or work related. The Parish Council decided the area should be called “Horseshoe Close” – named after the pub in Oaksmere “The Horseshoes” which became a residential property in 1996.