For the Deputy Chief Executive – Place, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive – City and Citizen Services; the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities; the Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management; the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies; the Group Finance Director (Section 151 Officer) and the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) to enter into a contract with Barton (Oxford) LLP to acquire the remaining 174 units at Barton Park directly from the relevant phase developers for Phases 2 and 4 (“the developer”) at Barton Park as required under the overarching development agreement with Barton (Oxford) LLP. The acquisition of the units is to be delivered in up to 32 tranches over a 2-year construction programme. Details for the properties included in the development are listed below:

Barton Fields Road (plots 145-149, 315-320, 324-335, 368-371)
Barton Fields Road flat block G (plots 268-280)
Barton Fields Road flat block J (plots 341-351)
Bracken Close (plots 182-183)
Buttercup Walk (plots 235-242)
Dandelion Drive (187, 202-205)
Dandelion Drive flat block F (plots 206-221)
Doves Foot Way (plots 154-157)
Mayweed Lane (plots 358-360, 366-367)
Montford Way (plots 102-107, 115-119)
Nettle Crescent (plots 386-390, 420-422, 430-436)
Poplar Place (plots 188-199)
Ryegrass Gardens (plots 372-383)
Sedge Close (plots 424-425)
Thistle Grove (plot 153)
Willowherb Drive flat block B (plots 71-80)
Willowherb Drive flat block C (plots 81-90)
Willowherb Drive flat block E (plots 128-137)

The cost of the acquisitions are restricted as per section 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Deputy Chief Executive – Place, decides as follows:

1.    To approve, that the Council acquires the first three tranches, a total of 19 units at Barton Park directly from the relevant phase developers for Phases 2 and 4 (“the developer”) at Barton Park as required under the overarching development agreement with Barton (Oxford) LLP;

a.    as detailed in paragraph 7 below and subject to the conditions set out in this report;

b.    The 19 properties to be purchased by the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for the amount detailed in Appendix 1, which is exempt from publication.

2.    Approve and agree to the entering into of relevant contract and transfer documentation, ancillary deeds of covenant and agreement for the acquisition of 19 new affordable homes at Barton Park (Phase 2&4) from the Developer directly into the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), as detailed in the main body of the report.  

In 2013 the Council took a decision to enter a legal agreement with Barton (Oxford) LLP to purchase all the Social Rent homes developed on Barton Park (40% of the development up to 354 homes). This agreement was signed in December 2014.

In June 2021 the Council entered into a Condition Development Agreement with the phase developer for Phases 2&4

A report was considered by the Cabinet on 16 October 2024 and approval given to proceed to purchase 174 properties from the phase developer for Phases 2&4 into the HRA.

The purchase of each tranche of units was delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive for Place. The 19 units detailed in this report are the first three tranches of properties