Planners say Green Belt land must be sacrificed for housing

Report in The Oxford Mail, 21st June 2002

Green Belt land in Oxfordshire must be sacrificed to make way for affordable housing, say city councillors.

They say the demand for homes in Oxford has reached crisis point and the poorest are being denied a foot on the property ladder.

According to Colin Cook, executive member for planning, potential sites could include land:

Mr Cook described the sites north of Peartree and south of Blackbird Leys as "low grade" but went on to say: "Residents in Kidlington will not be pleased that the council is suggesting that building could take place between Kidlington and Oxford." He added: "The park and ride near the grain silo site means that the principle of development in the area has been accepted, and it makes sense to put new housing near good transport links."

Carole Pack, chairman of Kidlington Parish Council's planning committee, said: "Residents are very keen to keep Kidlington separate from Oxford and maintain its identity as a village. We would oppose any further development."

The city council's Local Plan, which governs planning applications in the city, states that 50 per cent of new developments should consist of affordable housing. It calls for a further 20 per cent to be for 'key workers' such as nurses, social workers and local authority staff.

The county council warned two months ago that the Green Belt between Oxford and Abingdon might be developed, to spare the county's market towns and villages. The city council believes it would be better to extend Oxford than create a new town at Upper Heyford, as has been suggested.

The county's existing Structure Plan says 35,500 new homes must be created by 2011. But the Government wants Oxfordshire to absorb an additional 12,650 houses.


CLICK TO GO/RETURN TO:

THE IGNOBLE ROAD: MAGLEN CORP TO CONCRETE GREEN BELT INDEX OR NEXT ITEM

THE OXFORD COLLEGE ACCOUNTS: AKME INDEX AND EXPLANATION

THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT OUP'S 'CHARITABLE STATUS'

THE HISTORY OF AKME AND OF THIS WEBSITE,

THE AKME OXFORD CUTTINGS LIBRARY,

THE AKME LITERARY LAW LIBRARY,

ABOUT MAKING NAMES,

ABOUT THE REMEDY,

THE SITE INDEX.

e-mail: akme@btinternet.com