Oxford City Council was branded “negative, anti-developer and greedy”, by a guest at Estates Gazette’s Oxford City Talks event, last night.
The disgruntled developer, whose name is unknown, slammed the local authority and said if the council wanted 50% social housing in the city, the council should “get off its backside and build some”.
Speaking in the Q&A section of the debate, which was held at Oxford’s Said Business Centre, he said: “The only way we will get what we need in Oxford is for a change in the city council. We suffer from a city council that is negative and anti-developer, and as a result there are many sites within the city boundary that are not developed because the city council simply is too greedy or too difficult to grant planning permission.”
He added: “At the same time the city council wants 50% social housing. If it wants 50% so badly, why does it not get off its backside and build some council houses? The problem we have is a very negative and unconstructive city council.”
Patsy Dell, head of planning and regulatory at Oxford City Council and one of the event’s four panellists, defended the council’s position and countered that it was developers bringing forward only small development sites of between 10-20 houses at a time that was exacerbating the city’s housing woes.
“You only have to go to Barton and you can see where the council has been investing its own money. We are now really being constrained by the government in our ability to deliver housing. We are willing and ready and have the money to build social housing, but it is not sensible for councils to do it anymore.”
Dell said the council was pro-development, but that it has “many issues to deal with and we have the 50% requirement because of the acute affordable housing needs in this city”, which it cannot address on its own.
Dell called for the development and property industries to work together with the local authority to make a change.
Meanwhile, the 110 guests listened to wide-ranging debate including the city’s economic growth, investment and development and infrastructure issues.
Look out for full coverage of this event in the next South East Focus, published in Estates Gazette on 16 July 2016.
Panellists
Ian Hudspeth, leader Oxfordshire County Council
Ailish Christian-West, head of portfolio, shopping centres, Land Securities
Patsy Dell, head of planning & regulatory, Oxfordshire City Council
James Bainbridge, head of planning & development, Carter Jonas
Chair: Stacey Meadwell, Estates Gazette
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