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The People Don’t Support You, Taylor Wimpey

December 19, 2011

In the summer, at short notice and away from Oxley Park, you may recall a “public consultation” was held by Nex Communications trying to push one of their proposals through with the aide of cleverly phrased forms and alleged coercion of members of the public that they had to chose an alternative to the proposed RSH+P designs, and simply couldn’t say “we don’t want this” and leave it at that.

Well, despite the odds being stacked in Taylor Wimpey’s favour by a company who “shape opinion to give you a genuine commercial advantage” the public managed to attend, and their response was a resounding “No”.

Their own figures show that 72 percent of respondents DO NOT support even the principles, let alone the details of Wimpey’s plans.

Ouch.

You may see plans of boring properties, read spin and generally take in Wimpey’s plans to steam-roller Oxley Woods on the Milton Keynes Partnership website.

Wimpey Make Official Move to Trash Oxley Woods Plans

December 12, 2011

Updated, planning details can be found online at MK Partnership, click here to see the planning details.

A planning application for 26 dwellings has been received today at Milton Keynes council.

Nothing spectacular there, but these 26 dwellings are the neither here nor there brick and render clad houses which Taylor Wimpey wish to build in place of the 23 remaning, undeveloped houses of the RSH+P designed, multi-award winning, government backed, flagship Oxley Woods development, as originally planned and promoted to would-be residents buying into this development (still being promoted as of last month as a 145 home development by Wimpey themselves, truth in advertising?!).

We’re waiting on more details, but a letter will be on its way to “all Oxley Woods residents by the end of the week” and will outline a statutory “21 day consultation period for comment”.

So that’s 21 days, over Christmas and New Year, when they know people will be very busy and it will be hardest for their own customers to object to their plans to trash the community we all bought in to Wimpey’s “good word”.

Nicely timed Wimpey, not devious at all. And while you’re at it, why not try further profiteering by adding three more homes, just to rub salt into the wound?

Apparently the fact that Wimpey have timed their move as such will be taken into account, some leeway may be granted, but still… If only Wimpey’s distain for residents could be part of the consideration for planning, but it isn’t, more’s the pity. So much for the season of goodwill.

More discussion for residents is ongoing in the residents forum here at Oxley Woods Living, a meeting may be arranged to discuss how to go forward against Wimpey.

Fore more on the history of Wimpey’s moves to dump Oxley Woods, see the Oxley Woods Future section of the blog.

Christmas is Coming!

December 7, 2011

Well, it’s nearly upon us, the festive season is kicking in to full swing and decorations and lights are starting to go up around the Oxley Woods development, and the wider Oxley Park area.

We just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all our fellow residents and the workers still here in high winds and tough conditions building more homes, all the best for the Christmas season and best wishes for the New Year.

Here’s hoping that last years Christmas conditions return, as shown below in this photo taken in December 2010!

Winter at Oxley Woods

An open letter to Steve Rolt of Taylor Wimpey

November 15, 2011

Dear Mr Rolt,

As Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, I am certain you will be aware of the developments (or lack thereof) which have taken place at the multi-award winning, RSH+P designed Oxley Woods housing development, of which Taylor Wimpey have many times openly expressed their pride.

As one of the more “established” members of the development, I have personally been very active in the community. Our own property suffered from many problems, and we have an established blog and forum community now at http://oxleywoodsliving.co.uk and as another sign of how well this development is evolving, and taking pride in the houses you have built and sold, there is now even an Wiki for residents to share advice at http://oxleywoods.wikia.com/

Despite our issues, we have encouraged others to buy here, and would do the same given our time again. Oxley Woods is exemplary in so many ways, is very brave, beautiful, and somewhere Taylor Wimpey should rightly be very proud of.

In spite of this, as you are probably well aware, the powers that be are doing all they can to abandon the scheme far ahead of completion. Senior management at Taylor Wimpey appear hell-bent on destroying their good image, and rejecting the faith and good wishes of the local community they helped to established, by dropping the award winning homes in favour of far more traditional looking and/or “hybrid” building designs, which fall far short of the image Lord Rogers and his architectural firm have set forth.

You can imagine then, how delighted I and some fellow residents were to hear you express the views published by Easier (and no doubt other outlets) this past week. http://www.easier.com/96711-cutting-edge-milton-keynes-property.html

As Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South Midlands you have a unique insight into your company that we as residents do not have, and to hear you declare Oxley Woods as a “runaway success” and a “truly special place to live”. When you wax lyrical about the “innovative, energy-saving designs and construction techniques” it reminds me of days past when Wimpey had a sales office on-site occupied by enthusiastic sales staff who appeared to believe they really were establishing a new way forward, something with potential, something to be proud of. I am so happy this spirit lives on within yourself, despite the actions of others in your organisation.

And it is these words, your pride, your passion for our homes and the Oxley Woods development which has lead me to make this request of you.

Please Mr Rolt, please do everything within your power to support our lobbying of Taylor Wimpey to finish the 145 home development as originally envisioned, proposed and sold to us here at Oxley Woods. Please back your words with actions and contact all those in senior management you can, to tell them they are wrong.

You are the Regional Sales and Marketing Director, you know what sells, you must believe these incredible homes have a market, you must know it is wrong for your company to abandon their goals, to run away from innovation and step back into the mundane. You can help us make this happen Mr Rolt, you sell these homes, tell your bosses what you’re telling the public in your press releases, that Oxley Woods is a runaway success, and to drop it now would be a travesty.

Thank you for your kind words regarding our estate and our homes. Please take this further and back us internally, it could really help turn a corner. You love this place, we love this place, do not let those in your company who wish to destroy it win.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Paul Mullett.

Please note this is an open letter, published at the time of writing. Your email address is publicly listed by Taylor Wimpey via a quick Google search.

Oxley Woods “a runaway success” says Wimpey…

November 15, 2011

Further indications that either Taylor Wimpey are prepared to commit to completing the award winning 145 home Oxley Woods development has arrived courtesy of Steve Rolt, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South Midlands.

Either that, or further indications that Taylor Wimpey will say anything to anyone to suit their current position, telling the public one thing, and planning authorities, suppliers, residents and architects another. But surely they wouldn’t be so blatantly duplicitous, right?

So let’s accept this as great news worth celebrating!

In what appears to be a Taylor Wimpey endorsed press release, promoting the “last few remaining” (wait, what, they can’t count to 145, can they?!) homes at Oxley Woods published at Easier Property the aforementioned Steve Rolt, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, had the following to say:

Our high-quality new build homes in Milton Keynes at Oxley Woods have been a runaway success with style-conscious home-buyers looking for a truly special place to live.

These stunning properties in Milton Keynes are a design-led triumph, being created by the architects behind Paris’ iconic Pompidou Centre and London’s O2 Arena.

The article in general is well written and a lot of the positives certainly ring true, this place is, overall, a triumph and we adore living here.

But for Wimpey to wax lyrical on one hand while on the other telling current residents they can’t finish the site because of poor sales, higher costs and other issues, well you can draw your own conclusions as to what kind of company they are.

Furthermore, you can draw your own conclusions regarding those in positions of power who claim to support good environment, good neighbourhoods, and pioneering design on one hand, yet seem prepared to let Taylor Wimpey steam through with their plans to destroy a pioneering, award winning community with their only defence being higher profitability. It stinks, it really does.

So come on Steve Rolt, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, I call for you to join us and fight for the completion of Oxley Woods as planned, it’s clearly won your heart and backing, so help us change your company’s mind and get this site finished!