L&Q Estates and Persimmon Homes have completed an agreement to begin work on 1,000 homes in Banbury.

Work began this week on new £20 million community facilities, a primary school and road as part of the community at Wykham Park Farm, off Bloxham Road to the south of the town.

Warwick-based L&Q Estates has already secured outline planning permission from Cherwell District Council for the development which is expected to create around 80 jobs during the construction phase.

The scheme will provide a mix of properties from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom homes and will be carefully planned to deliver a sustainable community. Of the 1,000 homes, 30% will be transferred to a housing association partner.

A three-form-entry primary school will be delivered as part of the development through the section 106 agreement and Persimmon Homes will work closely with Oxfordshire County Council throughout its construction. Persimmon Homes will also be making land available to Oxfordshire County Council to allow for the expansion of Wykham Park Academy.

Other community facilities delivered as part of the development include sports pitches, a pavilion, play area and a local centre – including a community hall.

L&Q Estates has delivered a new roundabout off Bloxham Road which was completed in November 2022 to help ease traffic congestion and improve road safety on local roads.

Adrian Clack, Managing Director of L&Q Estates, said: “This is a major step forward in making Wykham Park Farm a reality after more than 10 years of promoting and developing the site.

“A new community like Wykham Park Farm needs associated amenities like a primary school and attractive facilities to make it a liveable place for new families, couples and retirees moving to the development and we are happy to bring this forward through this new scheme.”

Russell Griffin, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes South Midlands said: “We are delighted to have started work on our upcoming community at Wykham Park Farm. This will be a hugely exciting development, delivering much-needed quality homes for people in and around Banbury.

“Once complete, the site will bring 1,000 new properties to the town, addressing local demand while creating jobs in the area – as well as contributing significantly to local services, community facilities and infrastructure.”

The first homes are due to be completed this year.

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