Community First Oxfordshire (CFO) has been successful in bidding for new funds for Rural Housing, from DEFRA, which are being delivered through Action with Communities in Rural England (Acre) as part of new national programme.

This funding will enable CFO to provide a rural housing enabling service, supporting communities who want to deliver affordable housing for their residents. The funding will provide a new member of staff who can work with communities to identify local housing need, find a suitable site, get a planning permission and build out the site. The funding will also be able to fund some local housing needs surveys which are the first step for communities wanting to deliver affordable housing.

CFO is working in partnership with the Oxfordshire Local Authorities and specialist rural housing associations who can act as the developer on behalf of communities. We are holding two launch events where local communities can come along and find out about the support available (click on the links to book a place).

27 November 7.30 at the Civic Hall, Didcot

6 December 7.30 at Exeter Hall, Kidlington

CFO has a long history in supporting communities on housing issues and previously provided the rural housing enabling service before funding was cut in 2010.

In Oxfordshire’s rural communities, the market for housing has become divorced from local people and their incomes and often serves retirees or second and holiday homeowners, who have far more to spend on housing than local workers. With more intense competition for these homes, young people and families are priced out of rural communities entirely – forced to move away from friends, families, and jobs. Many rural communities struggle to fill vacancies and many communities struggle to maintain services such as local schools, pubs and shops.  Lack of affordable homes threatens the social fabric of rural life.

However, if communities can identify a site that may not usually get planning permission but could be utilised for affordable housing to meet local needs (known as a Rural Exception site) this can allow small rural housing schemes to be delivered at a reduced land cost. The new homes will be prioritised for those with a strong local connection to the area.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire is hosting a webinar on Friday 1st December at 11.30am at which people can find out more about a new local Primary Care Strategy and how they can help shape its development.

Who is developing the strategy?

NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), the organisation that plans, buys and oversees health services for nearly two million people across the BOB area from a range of NHS, voluntary, charitable, community and private sector providers, is developing a Primary Care Strategy.

What is primary care?

The four services that make up primary care are general practice, community pharmacy, dentistry and optometry (eye health).

Have your say

The ICB is seeking people’s views on these services and how they can be developed in the future.

People can find out more about this work and share their views via a short online survey, which will be open until 31st January 2024, on the ICB’s engagement website.

Come to the webinar to have your say and find out more

Dan Leveson, ICB Place Director for Oxfordshire, and Louise Smith, ICB Deputy Director of Primary Care, will be at the webinar on Friday 1st December at 11.30am to talk about the strategy, hear views and feedback, and answer any questions.

Dr Veronica Barry, Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire, said: “We look forward to welcoming members of the Integrated Care Board to speak about how this important Primary Care Strategy is being developed, and for local people to have a chance to give their comments and feedback on the shape of our primary care services in the area.”

The webinar will be held via Zoom. All are very welcome to attend – to join on the day please click on this link.