NEW Government housing numbers could see ‘ridiculous and inappropriate’ green belt plans scrapped across the county, it has been claimed.

A new method for working out housing need was released last week revealing that Oxfordshire – originally planning for 5,000 homes a year – actually needs 3,415 homes a year.

Oxford’s need has halved, with campaigners calling for plans to build in the green belt to be scrapped.

The city council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Andrew Gant, called for local authorities to ‘urgently review’ their plans.

He said: “We have questioned whether the current plans put too many of the wrong sorts of houses in the wrong places, with implications for transport, infrastructure, the natural environment and much else.

“These new numbers appear to add weight to that view.

“It is also unequivocal in re-stating its commitment to the principles of the green belt - like the Government we do not want settlements to coalesce.”

The Campaign to Protect Rural England’s county branch also welcomed the new figures, having said for years the original calculations were ‘vastly exaggerated’.

Director Helen Marshall said: “It could enable many of our more controversial local housing allocations to be removed from draft local plans, taking out the most ridiculous and inappropriate allocations, especially in the green belt.”

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price has responded to the new figures in a piece for the Oxford Mail.