Oxford City Council has scooped two top honours at this year’s OXProp Awards.
The council was recognised for its work through its wholly-owned development company, OX Place, and its joint venture project, OxWED, at the UK Property Forums OXProp Awards held at Keble College on September 10.
Fishers Vale in Old Marston, delivered by OX Place, was named Best Residential Development, while the Oxpens project, a joint venture with Nuffield College through OxWED, took home Best Future Development.
Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities at Oxford City Council, said: “Winning these two awards is a fantastic recognition of the Council’s role in creating new homes and new places for people to live, work and enjoy in Oxford.
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“Fishers Vale shows what we can achieve when we turn underused land into high-quality, sustainable homes.
“The development provides 40 genuinely affordable homes, including 21 council homes for social rent, helping people on our housing register to find a secure place to call home.
“Oxpens is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine a new part of our city centre, bringing much-needed homes and jobs alongside new public spaces and better connections to the river and the wider West End.
“These awards recognise two very different projects, but they part of a shared vision, to ensure sure Oxford has the homes, places and opportunities it needs to thrive in the future.”
Fishers Vale is a fully affordable housing scheme comprising 26 houses and 14 flats arranged around a central green space.
Of these, 21 are council homes for social rent and 19 are available through shared ownership.
The development is all-electric and designed to exceed national carbon reduction targets by around 56 per cent, with features such as high-performance windows, air source heat pumps and enhanced insulation.
The Oxpens project aims to transform a partly disused brownfield site into a mixed-use riverside neighbourhood.
Plans include 50 per cent affordable housing, student accommodation, a hotel and new public spaces.
The site also forms part of the broader regeneration of Oxford’s West End, which includes areas around the train station, Osney Mead and Frideswide Square.
Oxpens will also offer high-quality office and laboratory space, improved walking and cycling routes and expanded green areas, including an enlarged Oxpens Meadow and a new public amphitheatre.
The project is being advanced by OxWED LLP, a joint venture between Nuffield College and Oxford City Council.
Planning submissions for the scheme have been validated and are progressing alongside other West End development plans.
