WORK on an urban extension south of Oxford could start within five years after planning inspectors gave their full backing to a 4,000-home development.
In a report on housing numbers in the South East, independent planning inspectors have accepted the city council's case for the expansion of Oxford to combat a chronic shortage of housing. And they spell out their "strong preference" for Green Belt land, near Oxford United's Kassam Stadium, as the best site for a housing development.
The 370-acre site, jointly owned by Magdalen College and Thames Water, would take more than a decade to complete and would be almost double the size of Blackbird Leys. The new homes could be easily integrated with the city's public transport system, say the inspectors. They would be close to major centres of employment such as BMW, the Oxford Business Park and the Oxford Science Park.
The inspectors' report examined the draft South East Plan the region's housing blueprint until 2026. It says: "Having examined all the evidence, our own views accord with those of the city council that an urban extension will be required in the long term. This will inevitably mean a review of the Green Belt boundaries. We do not come to this conclusion lightly. We are fully aware of the value placed by local residents on each part of the Green Belt." But it says "a highly focused, selective" review is justified by exceptional circumstances, including the city's housing needs, worsening traffic congestion, the high cost of homes and the problems of recruiting and retaining staff.
The senior bursar of Magdalen College, Charles Young, said the inspectors' call for 4,000 homes with the inclusion of a secondary school were similar to the proposals put forward by the college and Thames Water. He said: "It seems the inspectors wanted to inject momentum into the process and avoid delay. We have always argued for a selective review of the Green Belt, rather than a general one. The said work would need to start within five years, if the homes and necessary infrastructure are to be delivered by 2026, the timescale for the South East Plan. Much will depend on the outcome of future consultation and each step going smoothly. But this project would involve big scale infrastructure work, such as moving a sewerage treatment works."
The Government has still to give its response to the report by a panel of independent inspectors, who spent four months examining housing numbers required in the South- East. But their findings look to have ended years of speculation about whether Oxford should be allowed to expand on to Green Belt land.
Residents in nearby villages, like Garsington, and South Oxfordshire District Council were left seething by the recommendations and vowed to fight on. The site falls within SODC boundaries. Recognising the deep divisions their recommendations would cause, the inspectors propose the creation of a 'South Oxford Development Area' to help "forge new working arrangements" between SODC and the Oxford City councils. They call for previous differences to be put aside but warn progress should be monitored by Government officers.
The proposed settlement would stretch from Sandford-on-Thames to Greater Leys and would mean having to build a new multi-million-pound sewage works. The level of bitterness aroused by the recommendation quickly emerged when Tories on the county council called for the resignation of city council leader John Goddard "for betrayal of the Green Belt".
County council leader Keith Mitchell said: "Building 4,000 or more dwellings at Grenoble Road is just not sensible in environmental, social or economic terms. We could accommodate these houses in many other locations in the county, including many within Oxford itself. We shall be looking to hold the Government to its recent statements that its support for the Green Belt remains 'as strong as ever'. If ministers support the inspectors' recommendation to review the Green Belt, these words will be exposed as empty spin."
The report recommends 2,730 homes being built each year in Oxfordshire over 20 years, higher than the 2,360 proposed in the draft South East Plan by the regional assembly.
The inspectors considered in turn proposals for new settlements at Shipton-on-Cherwell, near Weston-on-the-Green, around Milton Common and between Kidlington, Yarnton and Begbroke. But they concluded that an urban extension north of Oxford would exacerbate existing traffic problems.
Michael Crofton Briggs, head of planning at Oxford City Council, said: "We welcome this important announcement for the city. The city council have consistently argued that there should be a review of the Green Belt and an increase in housing numbers, especially affordable housing. There is a desperate need for housing in and around the city. Any developments that do happen should include an affordable housing element and there should be sufficient resource for appropriate infrastructure which creates communities, not dormitories."
Andy Boddington, Oxfordshire campaign manager for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: "The impact of this report will be to severely damage the rural character of the centre of the county. The planned urban extension into the Green Belt is the first stage in eroding the gap between Oxford and surrounding settlements. The Government has already said that it wants to review these housing numbers next year, so this intrusion into the countryside is likely to be the first of many."
Growth in the south of the county will be focused on Didcot. About 4,500 new homes are planned at sites including Great Western Park and Ladygrove East, with an additional 4,500 on sites yet to be decided. In Cherwell, housing numbers are recommended to increase by 1,000 to 12,800 over the next two decades, with major growth in Bicester. And 11,500 homes are earmarked for the Vale of White Horse, with growth focused on Grove.