LIBERAL Democrat city councillors have denied claims they have done a U-turn over plans to build new homes in Oxford's Green Belt.
Villagers in Sandford and the Baldons reacted with fury to news that Liberal Democrats were not voicing opposition to a proposal for 1,000 homes in the Green Belt south of Grenoble Road.
In a statement, Elizabeth Gillespie, vice-chairman of the Oxford Fringe Forum and a parish councillor for Marsh Baldon and Toot Baldon, accused the city council's Liberal Democrat group of "dropping their opposition to the proposal" in exchange for a seat on the council's new Labour-run executive board.
John Goddard, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said he wanted to wait and see the result of a public inquiry into the proposals before making a decision whether to support them. He said the group had never taken a formal position on the issue as there had never been a specific vote on it at the city council. He added: "My own view is that the Green Belt around Oxford needs to be reviewed. It may be that Grenoble Road is the most sustainable location - but that is a decision that should be made at the examination in public, which has not yet taken place."
The row followed news that pressure was mounting to build in the Green Belt after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott revealed that the city council had exhausted available brownfield sites. Mrs Gillespie's statement said: "This amazing U-turn is the result of city Liberal Democrats agreeing to the city's proposed Policy Priorities Framework in exchange for a seat on the city executive."
Mr Goddard denied his group had agreed to the framework. Mrs Gillespie added: "if the stance of the city council is that they have no position on the Green Belt then this is an amazing piece of hypocrisy."
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