We are redeveloping the empty 1960s properties at St Marys Court, The Crofts, where there are currently 23 vacant one-bedroom flats and three two-bedroom bungalows.

Planning permission was granted by West Oxfordshire District Council last year and demolition work is due to take place this month. Thirty new, modern one and two-bed apartments will then be built on the site for people aged over-55 in housing need.

The new apartments will have electric heating and hot water systems, as part of our commitment to move away from gas central heating to more sustainable heating sources. There will be balconies or terraces on some homes, and some of the ground-floor properties will have wet rooms.

A 30-year biodiversity management plan will also be put in place to ensure that conservation standards are met not just now, but in years to come.

Homes England is supporting the redevelopment with a £2.55 million grant.

Colin Bloodworth, our Director of Development and Partnerships, said: “The current unoccupied properties at St Marys Court fall below the high standard of accommodation that we are committed to providing for our customers. We’re looking forward to transforming this site in Witney into modern, much-needed affordable housing for those aged over 55.

“We will be providing an additional four affordable homes by carrying out this work and will be installing features like solar panels and the infrastructure to provide electric vehicle charging points to help meet customers’ needs in the future. We are grateful to Homes England for providing grant support to enable us to provide all of these homes for social rent, giving a more affordable option in an area where rental prices are high.”

The redevelopment of this site has been planned since 2020 and we have worked with previous customers to help them move to more suitable, improved accommodation in preparation for the work to take place.

E G Carter & Co Ltd has been appointed to carry out work on our behalf and Welling have been appointed as the Employers agent. The site is due to be completed in winter 2024/25.

Phillip Barnes, Associate Director at EG Carter & Co Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be working collaboratively with Cottsway to deliver another highly sustainable affordable housing project and we look forward to welcoming residents to their new homes.”

For more information about applying for one of our homes, see Find a property

Pictured from left - right: Marissa Yeoman and Becky Storey from our development team, with Dominic Capaldi, Mathew Vye and Stephen Williams from EG Carter & Co Ltd.