The housing pressures upon district councils throughout Oxfordshire and on Oxford City Council are considerable. However, all these councils have a land bank in their respective areas which would allow them to retain current use of sites and yet meet housing demand.

The sites in question are, of course, car parks. It is perfectly possible to build apartments above surface car parks throughout the entire county.

Apart from car parks owned by councils themselves, other owners may well welcome the financial gain from a consistent policy of this type.

Some sites may also be suitable for additional retail development at the ground level of such new developments. Instead of the unappealing acreages of vehicles at park-and-ride sites, for example, we could have substantial new apartment developments to meet local needs as long as councils ensure a minimum of 50 per cent of such new housing is social housing.

Today’s letters

I suggest our district councils and Oxford City Council study the total availability of car parks in their area and identify suitable sites. This can be accompanied by dropping greenfield housing plans off their agendas until this vast resource, and all other possible brownfield sites, is used up.

Steve Dawe

County Press Officer

Oxfordshire Green Party

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