I mentioned three weeks ago in HH344 that the new development off Waynflete Road in Barton is being marketed by Cala Homes as Bayswater Fields. Here now is the link I didn’t have then so you can see what they’re offering. Prices range from £305k for a 1-bed apartment to £716k for a 5-bed house.
It’s disappointing to see that like Mosaics Oxford in Barton Park, Cala’s marketing deliberately avoids any mention of Barton. According to Cala, Bayswater Fields is “situated in the warm and welcoming community of Headington”.
Equally disappointing given Headington’s – and Oxford’s – congested traffic, poor air quality and the City and County’s stated policies of encouraging people to switch away from using cars to more sustainable ways of travelling, under the ‘Location’ tab on the marketing pages there’s a section headed ‘Superbly Connected’. It lists several local destinations under ‘On Foot’, followed by many more ‘By Car’ and information about stations. There is no suggestion that aspiring Bayswater Fields residents could conceivably want to travel by bike or public transport.
Oxford City policies, reinforced by the Headington Neighbourhood Plan, would require the developers to pay positive attention to non-car travel. Sadly, Bayswater Fields is just over the border in South Oxfordshire District where it would seem such forward thinking doesn’t apply.