WE WERE not surprised to see that Cllr Elizabeth Gillespie, South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for development and building control, is now on record as challenging the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) figures (Oxford Mail, February 26) The Liberal Democrat groups have raised concerns about the figures at Cherwell, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district council meetings.

Although we recognise that Oxfordshire does require more housing, we believe the number of additional houses proposed in the SHMA is unsustainable and excessive. It has been described by professionals as “incredible” and “absurd”.

The SHMA was conducted on behalf of all the district councils, Oxford City Council and the county council by GL Hearn, a consultancy firm that specialises in property development.

We do not agree that the SHMA numbers should have been used without challenge by the councils - particularly as some of the underlying assumptions of the study, particularly about employment growth, were very optimistic.

And although we respect the district councils’ duty to cooperate with the city council, we believe that Oxford should utilise identified sites within the city before asking for further cooperation.

We also believe that we should do everything we can to halt the proposed piecemeal development in our Green Belt, and call on all the councils to ensure that any review of the Oxford Green Belt is conducted in public with a transparent consultation process.

LAYLA MORAN, Lib Dem PPC for Oxford West & Abingdon

ALEX MEREDITH, Lib Dem PPC for Wantage

SUE COOPER, Lib Dem PPC for Henley

DOUG WILLIAMSON, Lib Dem Group Leader, Cherwell DC

RICHARD WEBBER, Lib Dem Group Leader, Vale of White Horse DC

JULIAN COOPER, Lib Dem Group Leader, West Oxfordshire DC

DAVID BETTS, Chairman, Kidlington Parish Council