Set within acres of Oxfordshire countryside, our partnership with Dorchester Living has not only provided hundreds of homes to the local area, but also a focus on community and growing its reputation as a desirable place to live.
Heyford Park is a former US and RAF airbase, transformed into a modern take on the traditional countryside village. The long-term plan includes a village green, extensive leisure and retail facilities, and a new free school. Throughout the process, affordability of homes and creating a great place for people to live has have been a central considerations of the development.
Why this site?
Picture Living’s engagement with the Heyford Park development in Oxfordshire was borne from a commitment to long-term investments that align with regenerative initiatives and clear community values — not to mention the unique backdrop for development in areas people truly want to live.
Heyford Park, a decommissioned airfield from the Cold War, was purchased by Dorchester Living in 2009 as 1,200 acres of potential — this is space for up to 7,000 homes. While challenges varied with this brownfield site, the thriving residential community that has been created, with diverse housing options, improves the use of space with the integration of green infrastructure and addresses the market’s ever-evolving demands.
What’s more, Heyford Park’s idyllic location — five minutes from the M40 junction and close to Bicester's train stations, including Bicester Village retail outlet — offers excellent transportation connections to London, Oxford, and Birmingham.
Our collaboration with Dorchester Living
“With the evolving private rental sector in the UK, and our desire to offer a range of living opportunities for our community, we decided to partner with Picture Living. They’re established and specialists in what they do, as well as equity-funded by long-term investors — so there was no concern about funding.”
Paul Silva, CEO of Dorchester Living
Dorchester Regeneration handles the planning and infrastructure for large-scale redevelopments, while Dorchester Living is their house builder arm. Our work with Dorchester Living is inspired by their focus on the building of community, their trust in Picture Living as specialists in the private rental sector, and our equity-funded nature.
Our existing partnership with Places for People signifies shared values and a focus on community well-being, making it a valuable component of Dorchester's vision for the development. Our work with Dorchester Living began by researching and setting clear expectations about design, quality, and delivery of rental properties in the Heyford Park community.
Renting homes also accelerates housing delivery, which enables the completion of projects three times faster compared to traditional selling — this is primarily due to the offer being shared with a broader market reach. This flexibility allows Dorchester to adapt to market shifts. In times of economic downturn or when housing demands change, renting serves as a reliable means of generating income and maintaining a steady housing supply.
The long-term community focus
Dorchester's emphasis on community building extends to all their rental properties, aligning with their vision of creating vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods that stand the test of time. We’re delighted to have been a part of the project, and to have created another great place for our renters to live in the UK..
We’re looking for more projects
Established in 2018, Picture Living owns and manages a portfolio of more than 1,700 properties — one of the largest operational portfolios of private rented properties throughout the UK. We are currently forward funding a further pipeline, with 200+ units under construction, and are looking to increase this amount substantially.
If you would like to work together, please download our Builder Brochure for more information and get in touch with one of our expert team.
