HOUSING for teachers, emergency service workers and university staff is a top priority in Wolvercote, according to a new survey.

The Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum made the finding while asking people about what should be included in its Neighbourhood Plan.

The plan is a legally-binding planning policy that allows residents to influence development in their area.

The forum has been developing ideas for the plan since gaining recognition from Oxford City Council in 2013. Chairman Chris Hardman said proposals were likely to be presented in October for the first time.

It comes after the group surveyed more than 350 households, asking them to give their views on a wide range of issues.

Mr Hardman said the survey found strong support for key worker housing – for members of the emergency services, teachers and university staff – to be included in new developments, with 62 per cent of respondents saying it was “very important”.

More than half of respondents were also “strongly against” building on Green Belt land and there was also support for including more homes for the elderly, as well as concerns about traffic new developments could create.

Members of the forum’s steering group are to meet today and begin putting together new policies after several previous workshops with residents.

Mr Hardman said: “We are writing sections of the plan based on feedback we have had through our questionnaires and workshops.

“People are very concerned about traffic and congestion and a way to help with that is to provide housing for people on the developments they would work on.”

He said an example of this would be to include key worker housing in the Northern Gateway science park, set to include up to 500 homes, a hotel and 90,000 sq m of employment space.

A blueprint for the scheme was approved by a Government planning inspector in June.

Mr Hardman said there was also support for key worker housing to be included as part of the 200-home redevelopment of the Wolvercote Paper Mill site.

Oxford University has submitted the scheme to Oxford City Council and has no plans to include housing for key workers.

But it has said it would back changes to planning policy, which at present does not allow key worker housing to qualify as part of a 50 per cent affordable housing quota set for new developments. A change could see key worker housing becoming a part of the Northern Gateway development.