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Eynsham Village News

New Houses for Local People 25 Mar 2011 This shared ownership development of 40 affordable homes for local people was the occasion of much rejoicing.

Cottsway Housing Association, based in Witney, has officially opened its latest development, providing 40 new homes for people with a local connection to Eynsham. The ceremony also marked the tenth anniversary of the housing association.

Residents joined councillors, Cottsway board members and others at the new homes in Merton Court. Cottsway chairman John Baron and Mary Johnson Clarke, first chairman and former residents’ forum chair, gave opening speeches and Mary cut the ribbon.

After an opportunity to view one of the new homes, guests gathered in the Scout Headquarters for a buffet and a display of Cottsway housing developments.

Cottsway has worked in partnership with West Oxfordshire District Council through Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership on this development, with funding provided by Cottsway and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Chief executive David Waters said “We are pleased to see local people benefit from these new homes in Eynsham. The provision of affordable housing is vital to help sustain communities by enabling younger people to live in the areas where they grew up.”

Cllr Verena Hunt, WODC Cabinet Member for Housing, said "This is a very exciting development for Eynsham, bringing 40 much-needed high quality affordable homes for local people. Under the Council's rural exception sites policy we were able to give the go-ahead for the first affordable housing scheme in Eynsham for nearly 20 years."

As contributions to the local community, Cottsway is funding a shed to help the scouts store their equipment; and developers Leadbitter donated £1,000 to Eynsham Community Primary School to help with their environmental projects.

David Pinckney of Leadbitter’s Central Housing division said, “... this scheme sets a new benchmark for affordable housing in West Oxfordshire.”

The new homes have all been built to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3, by enhancing the insulation of the building fabric and incorporating solar thermal panels on the houses and solar photo voltaic on the flats. Inclusion of these solar panels will help the occupiers reduce their energy consumption and improve their carbon footprint.

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