The Structure of the Strategy
New Housing Strategy
The new Housing Strategy begins by outlining the main changes and challenges relating to housing within the national and local contexts, understanding that strategic housing intertwines with health, welfare, economic and planning policy.
As part of reviewing these contextual factors, it also analyses housing need locally, including population trends, house prices, rental prices, affordable housing supply and demand, income and affordability and the underlying socio-economic factors within the local area.
The 3 priority areas that underpin the strategy are then set out in more detail. With an analysis of the contextual information, data analysis, trends and findings as well as the activity of relevant partnerships. In each priority area, a high level assessment of the needs and challenges is provided, a summary of the work that has been undertaken already where relevant and the principle actions to undertake over the next 5 years to deliver.
Development and Shaping of the Housing Strategy
In the development of the Housing Strategy, information and data from a range of sources and other documentation have been developed
- Detailed evidence, analysis and findings from a number of key strategic plans and policies, including
- The Cherwell District Council’s Business Plan 2024-2025
- The Cherwell District Council draft Local Plan
- The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029
- The Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement 2021
- The Cherwell District Council Allocations Scheme 2025
- Analysis of recent demographic and housing data for the local area and national trends
- The most recent information from our housing waiting list and approaches to our housing options service
The Housing Strategy brings together all areas of strategic housing plans and related documents.
It covers affordable housing delivery, housing for older people and those with support needs, tackling homelessness and rough sleeping and private sector housing, including adaptations for disabled people and the standards of properties available for rent within Cherwell. The strategy reflects the Council’s role as an enabler in certain areas where it has less direct control and influence, such as within services provided by Registered Providers, who provide 99% of the social housing within Cherwell.
The strategy also links and reflects the priorities and actions identified within other key strategic documents, outlined in the above section. These include the current Cherwell District Council Business Plan. The Business Plan sets out a series of high level aspirations, this includes “housing that meets your needs”.
Housing that meets your needs
- Support the delivery of affordable and green housing
- Ensure minimum standards in rented housing
- Work with partners supporting new ways to prevent homelessness
- Support our most vulnerable residents
- Deliver a Local Plan
Cherwell District Council Business Plan 2024-25
The Housing Strategy is the main delivery mechanism for the Council’s housing objectives. It supports the Business Plan and other related documents by setting out detailed plans for how the priorities will be achieved and delivered. This includes how we will develop new initiatives and deliver services that meet the local need, how we will make best use of our resources and how we will address current and future demands on the services that we deliver.
As the Council is only a small provider of housing locally, as it transferred its housing stock as part of a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer process in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, and thus is not a large Registered Provider or a large direct enabler and landlord for new affordable housing, the scope of the strategy is far wider than just the services that the Housing Team at the Council delivers. Other statutory services are also delivered by other teams or partner organisations, such as planning and health and social care.
Much of the data, analysis and evidence required to inform the housing strategy is already published and available within other related strategic documents, such as Office of National Statistics Data. However, up to date housing register analysis and analysis of homelessness data, such as our DELTA returns, have also been used.
The strategy reflects the Council’s role as an enabler in certain areas where it has less direct control and influence, such as within services provided by Registered Providers, who provide 99% of the social housing within Cherwell