The Director of Housing decides as follows:

Approval to enter into a design and build contract with Life Build Solutions Ltd. for the delivery of this development project. The project budget has been allocated through the annual February Council budget-setting meetings and vired into a new HRA budget line from October 2025 Cabinet (as set out at item 3 of the Cabinet Decision). 

1. The site is owned by Oxford City Council (“the Council”) and held in the HRA, and the development will be directly delivered by the Council, with Oxford City Housing (Development) Limited (“OCHL”) acting as the development agent. The site has secured planning consent, and a competitive tender exercise completed with regards to the procurement of a build contractor.
2. The scheme had previously been in the OCHL pipeline programme as one of their development sites (where the Council would commit to selling and buying back the land and affordable homes).  On review, the scheme is now considered to be better brought forward directly by the Council. This is due to the nature of the scheme, being 100% affordable housing and on Council (HRA) owned land.  It provides better value for money for the HRA and better ensures that development appraisal financial parameters are met.
3. This is a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme of 15 much needed affordable homes for general needs. These are a mix of unit types with flats ranging from 1-bedroom to 4-bed and 2- and 3-bedroom houses.  Six of the homes are for Social Rent, five are for Affordable Rent (capped at Local Housing Allowance) and four houses are to be developed at Shared Ownership tenure. One social rent flat is a 4-bed (6-person) flat which supports delivery to meet a limited but acute housing need for larger family homes. One of the 2-bed flats at affordable rent will be built to the accessible M4(3) standard (formerly wheelchair standard). 
4. OCHL carried out an open tender process on behalf of the Council and received 5 contractor submissions. Life Build Solutions Ltd. has been identified as the preferred bidder for the delivery of Westlands Drive based on cost and quality.  OCHL received 5 contractor submissions under the latest open tender exercise. The outcome of which recommends Life Build Solutions Ltd. for the delivery of Westlands Drive at a cost of £4,713,289.70 (inclusive of VAT) based on cost and quality.   OCHL will act as the development manager on behalf of the Council, and will undertake the management of the development of the Westlands Drive/Halliday Hill development in the HRA.
5. The objective is to deliver 15 affordable new homes – which supports the Council's strategy and priority of providing more affordable housing. This initiative contributes to the Council's affordable homes delivery programme.

Failing to proceed will delay or halt the delivery of more affordable housing, reducing the supply of much-needed affordable housing.