Work on a new housing development for Oxford University postgraduate students has begun.
The development of Court Place Gardens, an estate of 84 postgraduate homes mainly for families, is the first project to come on stream from a property partnership between Legal & General and Oxford University. A £4bn parnership between Legal & General and the university began in June 2019, setting up Oxford University Development with the purpose of providing new homes for staff and students, incubator space together with academic facilities.
It is hoped there will be 1000 new staff homes and 1000 units of graduate accommodation from the partnership.
Court Place Gardens is situated next to the Norman church at Iffley, and a small group of graduate houses that were built in the 1970s. These however, are to be replaced by 71 new houses arranged in three court yards and designed especially for graduates with families. There are also plans to restore the Grade 11 listed Mansion House with 13 study bedrooms and communal space, the Gate Lodge will also be renovated and will consist of three privately let bedrooms.
Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp is the architect for the project, Feltham Construction is main contractor for Court Place Gardens, Cast Consultancy is project manager and quantity surveyor, Price & Myers is structural engineer and Qoda is building services engineer.
Work is planned for completion by September 2024 in time for use at the start of the academic year.