Oxford University plans to spend £40 million on a 200 home estate to house staff who have been priced out of the local housing market. The university fears its world-class status could be threatened if potential recruits are put off by rising property prices. A three-bedroom house in the north of Oxford might well cost £400,000 and it is not unusual to see homes fetching £1 million. If granted planning permission the development will be arranged around a green and will have its own doctors’ surgery. Tim del Nevo, the land agent for the university, said: “We find ourselves in the same position as local employers, such as the NHS and BMW, who find it difficult to accommodate staff in the Oxford housing market. This, I believe, is the first time the university has sought to create purpose-built accommodation for its staff.” Telegraph, Guardian