LABOUR Councillor Van Coulter (The Issue, June 11) seems completely unaware that Green Belt policy was introduced by the Labour government just after the Second World War because it would prevent urban sprawl and would allow workers to have more immediate access to the countryside, until then seen as a prerogative of the upper classes.
Like many of the post-war progressive policies the protection of the Green Belt was hard fought by the working classes.
It is, therefore, misguided for the Oxford Labour Party to try to portray the fight for more houses on the Oxford Green Belt as a “progressive battle” against backward neighbouring Tory district councils who want to protect the Green Belt, while in fact the Coalition Government poses the biggest threat to the Green Belt policies.
It is also misguided to think that concreting over the Green Belt will make housing more affordable or ease transport problems.
Nearly a decade ago the Cambridge Green Belt was ’de-allocated’, in a process overseen by Cambridge Futures and 215 hectares of Green Belt land was released for development.
I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that Cambridge housing has become more affordable for local people or that transport problems have eased.
Cllr Coulter should honour his Labour Party legacy by protecting the Oxford Green Belt which has also contributed to maintaining the stunning green setting of historic Oxford.
SIETSKE BOELES
Southfield Road
Oxford
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