AT the last city council meeting the Greens wanted a high-level summit to be held with all the organisations involved in housing provision to devise a new housing strategy to actually do something about the housing crisis. This was voted down by Labour city councillors with their ‘we know best’ stance.

For 30 years, with the exception of a few odd years, Labour has run Oxford City Council. For all that period we have had a housing problem, now a crisis.

Have they sought to control escalating rents? No.

They have consistently raised council house rents above the level of inflation. Did they stick to the 50 per cent affordable social housing on new developments introduced by the Lib Dems and the Greens? No.

When they think it appropriate this is dropped. Have they built council houses? A handful, a fraction of the numbers sold off under the last Labour Government.

Did they buy and rent out private houses?

Not really... they have in fact continued to sell off council homes, making the situation even worse.

The only areas where genuine progress has been made is where there was cross-party agreement with such issues as tackling homelessness and the HMO licensing scheme.

For the people of Oxford facing our biggest crisis, the decision to vote down a new approach, and to continue doing effectively nothing, is a disaster.

Cllr David Williams Leader of the Green Group, Oxford County Council, London Road, Oxford