City faces a legal battle over Green Belt housing (From Oxford Mail)

City faces a legal battle over Green Belt housing

7:00am Tuesday 16th June 2009 in

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PLANS to build 4,000 new homes in Oxford’s Green Belt are to be challenged in the High Court by South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).

The district council served papers on John Denham, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, yesterday and the CPRE’s Oxfordshire branch is expected to do likewise in an independent case today.

It is six weeks since the Government’s South East Plan was published, in which the Secretary of State approved changes to the Green Belt next to Grenoble Road, in Greater Leys, to accommodate a new housing development.

SODC leader Ann Ducker said last night: “We have always said it is not sustainable to build housing to the south of Grenoble Road in south Oxfordshire and that this housing is not needed.”

'It is not sustainable to build housing to the south of Grenoble Road in south Oxfordshire and this housing is not neede'

Ann Ducker

The council has been given legal advice that it has grounds to challenge the decision.

District council cabinet member for planning Angie Paterson said: “Oxford City Council, backed by the Government, wants to expand the city into south Oxfordshire without justification.

“The city should use under-developed land within its own boundaries to build housing instead of trying to commandeer a large area of Green Belt that provides the unique setting for Oxford and contains some beautiful south Oxfordshire villages.”

A spokesman for SODC said it would spend up to £50,000 on the court action from an existing legal budget.

Dr Helena Whall, of CPRE Oxfordshire, said of the housing plan: “Not only would important areas of Oxford’s Green Belt be lost forever, but the development could also harm the Leys, already a deprived area, by removing open spaces on its doorstep, and increasing the transport and highway difficulties the Leys faces.

“Apart from that, it would threaten villages such as The Baldons to the south and Garsington and Horspath to the east, as well as placing further strain on the fragile infrastructure of the city itself.

“The 4,000 house extension would be as large as the town of Thame — and all on Green Belt land.”

Dr Whall said CPRE Oxfordshire would be willing to spend up to £30,000 on legal action and was delighted SODC was fighting a similar case.

Ed Turner, the city council's executive member for housing, said: “I think it is pretty obscene that South Oxfordshire District Council is spending taxpayers’ money trying to stop people in need of housing getting help and preventing local people from getting a foot on the housing ladder.

“The housing shortage causes enormous amounts of suffering and this is exactly the wrong sort of thing to be doing.”

City council leader Bob Price said: "It is very disappointing that SODC is proposing to use taxpayers' money to challenge this ruling on very weak grounds and to delay the important planning work that needs to be undertaken to ensure that the development meets our aspirations for a balanced and sustainable new community."

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith branded the court action an attempt to “strangle the social and economic potential of the city”.

He added: “If this move were to succeed, it would not only deprive people of homes, but stack up still more pressure for building on the remaining green areas within the city, along with more flat conversions and houses in multiple occupation.”

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said the authority “shared and supported” South Oxfordshire’s concerns over the Grenolble Road plans.