University housing plans leave village bracing itself for influx of academics
Wolvercote, where Oxford University hope to build over 200 new homes for its staff, increasing the population of the village by twenty per cent
Three miles outside Oxford, nestled on the northern edge of Port Meadow, lies the picturesque village of Wolvercote. Best known for containing the Trout pub and Tolkein’s grave, the village is now set to welcome 600 new residents - Oxford academics and their families. Fearing that potential recruits may be put off from taking jobs by rocketing property prices in Oxford, the university wants to build 200 new homes in the village to house its staff.
More and more Londoners have sold up and bought cheaper properties among the dreaming spires, leading threebedroomed properties in the area to fetch anything from £270,000 to £300,000, forcing those on an academic salary out of the market. Oxford’s development is planned for the site of an old paper mill near the village of Wolvercote, on land that has been owned by university subsidiary the Oxford University Press since the 1850s.
Councillors and estate agents have expressed their concern about the £40 million staff housing development. Although the council have consulted locals over the plans, a local Liberal Democrat councillor, John Goddard, says he has worries about the availability of housing to all members of the local community. “My concern is really who actually lives in the development.
There is a real shortage of affordable housing in Oxford, and I think it’s admirable that the university has plans to house its own staff, but I don’t agree that it should be exclusive to university employees,” he said. “There are an awful lot of other people who contribute to the community, and there is a need for everyone to benefit from the plans.” However, Goddard says he broadly welcomes the development, which would increase the population of the village by one fifth.
“The university is… determined to make it a high-quality development. What has been industrial space up until now will have green spaces that the public will have access to. I think environmentally it’s really very worthwhile.” Pete Goodgame, Chairman of the Wolvercote Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, raised concerns over the village’s suitability for an influx of residents.
“There’s not really any facilities in the village apart from a couple of pubs, and people have to go into Oxford for shopping.” However, he admitted that other than this there should be no problem with the arrival of the new residents. A spokesperson for Andrews Estate Agents, working in the area, expressed similar doubts, suggesting the poor road communications with the city could lead to a traffic problem.
“There’s not very good access to the Wolvercote at the moment, and provision would need to be made for local amenities - for example, are there enough schools in the area if the population increases this significantly?” A spokesperson for the university said staff would not be getting better deals than students under the new plans. “I expect it to cost much more than student rents - nobody lives as cheaply as students in this city.
She said the project was still in its very early stages, and plans have not yet been finalised. “No decisions have yet been made about whether the accommodation would be entirely for University staff, or if there would be some provision for other workers.” Councillor Goddard hopes planners will think carefully before reaching a decision.
“This development needs to be good for the university and its staff, good for Wolvercote and the people of Wolvercote, and good for the housing crisis in the city as a whole, and this is a serious discussion that needs to be had.”
12th Jan 2005