First social rent apartments completed in north-west Bicester
02 August 2024
We’ve completed 16 new zero carbon homes, a community hall and café to finish the initial phase of the UK’s first eco-town in north-west Bicester.
Social rent apartments completed in Bicester
Planning permission was granted in 2021 to transform the former farmland site and bring much-needed social rent homes, as well as vibrant spaces for the growing community.
The hub was built in partnership with Exel Construction, with a mix of 8 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom social rent apartments.
The energy-efficient design of the homes incorporates large solar panels across the whole of the roof, and is connected to the district heat network to achieve net zero carbon and reduce energy usage.
The commercial ground floor elements, including the community café, are also built to Breeam Excellent – an industry measure used to assess sustainability performance.
Residents also have access to a community hub garden with a luscious green garden, as well as cycle storage and on-site parking bays. In addition, the café will provide space for residents to grab a drink or a snack.
Steve Hornblow, Head of Special Projects at A2Dominion said: “We’re all really pleased to reach completion of this ambitious project and deliver much-needed social rent apartments to local people in north-west Bicester.
“The scheme uses sustainable building methods and transforms the space into a place that both residents and the local community can be proud of.”
Jack Thoroughgood from Exel Construction said: “It was a pleasure to work with A2Dominion again to deliver this very prestigious project. The high level of specification enabled us to produce 16 excellent quality social rent flats and an excellent community hub for the local residents.”
John Rowan & Partners acted as the Employer’s Agent for A2Dominion in helping to deliver the scheme.
