Bicester/Buckingham

[Ilikecooking]

Anyone have a new build on either of the new developments that are currently going up in these areas? If so, what was your experience please?

Or does anyone have any experience of these two towns either in a positive or negative way please?

[PigeonPie]

We had a look at the 'Windsor Park' development in Buckingham a while ago and thought that we could have got a lot more for the same money in a nicer house with a bigger garden in a village outside Buckingham / Bicester.

I think that the houses are built on the same designs in Bicester and I'm afraid whilst I don't think the Kingsmere development has flooded in all this rain, I wouldn't touch a place with 'mere' in the title!

We are wondering about the Eco Town when / if it finally gets going.

[MillyMollyMama]

Just remember that Buckingham has a grammar school and a secondary modern school (has struggled). Bicester is comprehensive. If you have children, this might be a consideration. I think Brackley is nicer than Bicester.

Villages outside Buckingham can be quite expensive. You could look at Marsh Gibbon, (near Bicester but Bucks), Waddesdon (you would get the grammars in Aylesbury or Waddesdon School which is a cracking secondary modern), Padbury, Gawcott, Tingewick, Thornborough, Maids Moreton or Akeley.

Where is the Eco village going?

[PigeonPie]

The Eco (village to start with, but scheduled to turn into a town or a series of 5 villages totalling about 4,000 houses in the next 30 years) is off the B4100 towards Baynards Green just on the outskirts of Caversfield, well opposite Bure Park really. You can read all about it here.

[MillyMollyMama]

Do you want to live in a permanent building site though, even if it is an Eco village? Bicester has become so large now! There was talk of an Eco village near Winslow in Bucks but I think that has been shelved at the moment.

[Ilikecooking]

Thankyou for your posts.

We moved out of Aylesbury due to my not feeling safe where we were and we don't want anywhere affected by HS2 ie Waddesdon, which is why we whittled it down to the Buckingham/Bicester area. I will look into the surrounding villages, thankyou.

Surely by the time they have finished building the Eco homes over 30 years, the technology/Eco methods I stalled will be out of date?

[PigeonPie]

Re the technology, I imagine it will be out of date in 30 years, but the way of living shouldn't be. It's going to be built in phases (the first phase starting shortly) with the exemplar of just under 400 houses so the technology should move with the building and times.

Anyone either buying or renting there will probably need to sign some sort of declaration to say that they will live by an eco code (which is being drawn up at the moment) so that anyone living there will get into a mindset about it.

The actual buildings, though, should last as, while the technology for say PV panels may change, the fact that the way the buildings and rooves are positioned and constructed will be fine (PV panels can be replaced). I think that there will be grey water collection and underground water storage and the heat will be coming from the Ardley incinerator a few miles away.

It's an interesting project.

[PigeonPie]

Also careful about the edge of Buckingham. At present HS2 is due to go just to the north of Godington and then through Newton Purcell and Finmere.

[LtEveDallas]

Bicester primary schools are all full to bursting. DD ended up in a faith school as it was the only one left with spaces. BCC secondary is in SM's and Coopers is full. I've heard good things about Upper Heyford / Heyford Park Academy, but the development seems more pricey.

Kingsmere houses are OK, but I think they are overpriced if you take the towns facilities into consideration. Bicester thinks it's Oxford, Oxford thinks it's London. There is more housing being build on the old Graven Hill site as well. Oh and 2 more developments further into Ambrosden/Arncott.

Plus there is a new Regiment coming in 2015, and another expansion I. 2016.

What schools are all these new kids going to go to?

(And frankly, the sooner I get away from the bloody bicester village traffic the better)

[superlambanana]

Have you looked over Leighton buzzard way? More for your money and more going on too.

Out if Bicester and Buckingham I'd definitely go for Buckingham.