Plans are afoot in Oxley Woods, and this time not of the scheming house-builder kind. Residents are clubbing together to organise an Oxley Woods Big Lunch.
If you’re interested in joining in, please make a visit to the residents’ forum and see what you can do to take part, even if it’s just a case of bringing yourself along to join in!
We all knew it, despite claiming to appreciate and understand the residents of their very special development, Taylor Wimpey have confirmed in writing to residents that they are “unwilling to complete the build of the RSH&P homes”.
So then residents, English Partnerships (Homes and Communities Agency), ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister), RSH+P (Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners) RIBA, Manser Medal awards panel, Milton Keynes Partnerships, Milton Keynes Council, Innovative Housebuilder of the Year awards panel and everyone else who’s put their faith, their time, their money, their awards into Taylor Wimpey, the Oxley Woods development, the 60k homes (design for manufacture) competition, our community, all that this site apparently stood for. “Screw you”. That certainly appears to be the message from Wimpey. They’re not budging, and they are not willing to carry out the plans we all bought in to.
Dear Mr **********
Thank you for your email and attached letter. I appreciate you taking the time to write on behalf of your neighbours, and for responding within the timescales in my letter.
It was not our intention that only the two representatives would see the three options, I was planning to give the three options to the two representatives to distribute to and discuss with their community and then those two representatives would feed back the views of everyone to enable us to chose together which of the three option, or a combination of the three, would be progressed through planning. It is very difficult to design a site with a large number of people which is why I suggested two representatives.
Taylor Wimpey is unwilling to complete the build of the RSH&P homes for the reasons in my previous letter. We did want input from the existing residents before submitting a planning application. However it is now likely that Taylor Wimpey will choose which of the three designs to proceed with, and you will be able to make representation during the planning application in the usual way.
Regards
Stephanie
By the way, the “reasons stated” I’ll try to dissect at a later date. I believe there are more holes in their arguments than an old pair of fishnet stockings. They just want to maximise profits, and be damned anyone who doesn’t agree.
Following Taylor Wimpey’s first direct communication regarding their plans to scrap the multi-award winning eco homes development at Oxley Woods, a number of residents held an impromptu meeting to discuss our response. A number of us already making it clear we wish to see the development completed as proposed by Wimpey, as awarded and as highly acclaimed by others.
The letter gained around more than 35 signatories in a number of days, and was emailed to Taylor Wimpey. The following is a word-for-word copy of the combined response to Taylor Wimpey.
Dear Ms Moffat,
RE: Oxley Woods
I write on behalf of the residents named below to provide a formal and collective response to your letter dated 23rd March.
We welcome the fact that your letter provides the first direct communication on the part of Taylor Wimpey regarding the future of the Oxley Woods site, albeit to a limited number of recipients. Please be assured that, as residents of this ‘truly innovative and outstanding development of sustainable homes’, we are keen to be involved in ensuring the successful completion of the site.
Following discussions amongst ourselves, we have however concluded that we cannot agree to your proposal for a two person committee to meet with you to identify a preferred alternative design to be pursued on the remaining undeveloped areas.
Given that the Oxley Woods development is of national significance, and that all of its residents have therefore been pioneers, we must underline that any consultation on the future of the site should be open to all residents. Any proposed changes in the design of the homes still to be built must be carefully considered within the context of the original aims of the project, the existing design and layout, and the overarching concept which residents bought into when they made the decision to live here.
It would therefore be inappropriate on our part for any of us to circumvent a full and proper consideration of the available options, either via an open public consultation or via a formal planning process. As such we will not be nominating representatives, nor seeking to view the revised alternative designs as per your proposal.
While we appreciate that the housing market has been difficult over recent years (indeed it has been a personally painful experience for a number of us), it is our belief that there would be sufficient demand for the remaining houses if they were to be completed as per the original design. Our own anecdotal experience is that, over the last couple of years, inquiries to the Oxley Woods sales office into the likely availability of homes in the undeveloped areas have been rebuffed rather than actively pursued as an indication of customer demand. More positively, we infer from the recent closure of the sales office that the remaining homes on Holden Avenue have now been sold, and understand that this is already the case for the three further homes that will soon be built by Wood Newton.
We must therefore reiterate our previous individual responses in support of the completion of the site as per the original RSH+P proposals, and respectively ask for this option to be reconsidered. If the site were to be completed in line with our original expectations we are confident that residents would be able to play an active role in promoting the site to potential homeowners. We would be pleased to discuss this possibility further.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned
Residents of RSH+P designed multi-award winning development Oxley Woods have today received a staggering letter from house builders Taylor Wimpey, outlining their plan to placate residents and steam-roller through their plans to ditch the much fought for, and highly acclaimed RSH+P eco-homes in favour of CMYK penned alternatives.
The letter, attached below, suggests interested residents elect a committee of two. Those two individuals, sorry, that “committee” will then be privy to three alternative designs by CMYK. Then, they will state a preference, after discussion with residents, to allow Wimpey to put in planning for their choice of homes, and being in a position to claim some sort of “proper consultation” those plans will be viewed favourably by the authorities.
Once again, Wimpey are trying to play the system, and attempting to make it seem that they WILL build what they want, and the only way residents get a say is on Wimpey’s terms.
This isn’t the case. If residents wish to object and reject completely Wimpey’s plans we have every right to so.
Apparently, they’re telling those of us who’ve already bought these homes, people just don’t want to buy them.
Perhaps they should be offering full refunds instead, as we were told they were desirable and special. Or, it would appear, continue to treat their customers like naive fools.
Click here to view the letter sent to Oxley Woods residents.
Ivan Harbour from architects RSH+P, designers of the Oxley Woods housing we all know and love, has written an in depth, interesting, and somewhat encouraging letter to all concerned with the future of Oxley Woods. The letter is addressed to residents, but contains information and points of view I am sure will be of interest to many.
The letter, in its original PDF format is attached to this post. Ivan Harbour Letter to Oxley Woods Residents
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