ABOUT JERICHO - PLANNING
The canalside development story has taken many twists and turns. In 1992 Orchard Cruisers, a working boatyard ceased operations on the site which was owned by British Waterways (BW) In 1993 BW won planning permission on this site for 10 houses, 2 flats, a boating shop and office, cafe, and pedestrian/cycle bridge.
In August 1995 an Oxford City Council survey showed that local people found the Community Centre “unsatisfactory”: there was no large hall, no disabled facilities, no downstairs office or reception. The building lacked space, e.g. in the kitchen. A £1m proposal to redesign the ground floor failed to receive lottery funding.
In March 1997, as BW’s planning permission looked as if it would lapse, Rosamund Catering applied for a temporary “landing pick up and dropping off point for narrow boat restaurant” on the site. This was granted and the boatyard grew: first there were a few other boaters, employed to man and maintain the floating restaurant.; then boats began to be brought in for service and repair. Rosamund began to negotiate with British Waterways for a permanent agreement.
On May 11th 1999 at Freud’s, Oxford Brookes Centre for Development and Emergency Practice launched a week of “community-led planning for canal-side development” organised in response to the rapid development of the canal corridor. George Monbiot was among the speakers. Planning wasn’t boring, he said. It was the critical determinant of our quality of life. “Good planning reflects fighting by the community against the bleak ugliness of many of our towns”. Inspirational for those who heard it!
On 26th May 1999, the JCA and Rosamund met to discuss the site. Rosamund were about to make a presentation to British Waterways for a permanent base for the floating restaurant.JCA suggested a new community centre would fit well on the site. The council fell in with the latter suggestion, as did the vicar.
From May 1999, the JCA worked with the floating restaurant, Rosamund the Fair, and a developer Metropolitan and County to work up a proposal for the development of the site. For this purpose we established a Canalside Development Group which met from August 1999 to 2002 and included the JCA, College Cruisers, the Church, the Health Centre, and representatives of the City Council and the member of parliament. This resulted in a bid by Metropolitan and County for the land, for a development that included a boatyard, a new community centre, and housing. A month or two later, a revised bid was put in, with a larger community centre – as it had become clear that a key issue was sustainability. British Waterways rejected this bid in February 2000, supposedly on the basis that they did not consider it commercially viable.
BW then put the site out to tender. The Canalside Development Group contributed to BW's development brief for the site which appeared in May 2000. Metropolitan and County felt they were out of the running. The community association put in a bid for the site with a local builder Leadbitter. However, BW went for the highest bid, from Bellway Homes
What kind of households we have?
According the to 2011 Census, almost half of Jericho households – 46% – consisted of only one person, 24% consisted of couples with or without children, 7% were student households, and 11% were other multi-person households, while 6% were single-parent households.
Where we work?
According to the 2001 Census, in Jericho 28% of those working were self-employed, while 18% worked part time. Around 20% were in higher professional occupations compared with 14% for Oxford. We also tend to work nearby: 72% of people worked within five kilometres of their home; 18% went to work on foot, 13% by car and 6% by bike