THERE does appear to be a real need for Oxfordshire’s traffic strategy to be streamlined and updated.

However, a considerable further increase in our region’s economic growth and traffic load cannot be assumed, in view of the fact that the British and global economies are now living on borrowed time under colossal and increasing debt, with desperately low interest rates being required stave off deflationary collapse.

Moreover, any need to build new Park & Rides in Oxfordshire’s Green Belt must be objectively weighed against the true importance of the Green Belt as one of the few remaining protections of our naturally wild or beautiful places.

This importance should not be underestimated – in view of the burgeoning meaninglessness in our current globalised consumer way of life. The chance to experience time away from repetitive artificiality in these places and enjoy natural peace, variety and beauty is one of our major remaining antidotes to this meaninglessness.

The success, to give one example, of schemes for bringing deprived inner city children out to see and enjoy living in real, unspoilt countryside for a few days, is well established. And getting out into unspoilt countryside from time to time provides very large numbers of people with quite a deep, inner relief.

If the County Council decide that new Park & Rides must be built in Oxfordshire’s Green Belt, then stringent measures should ensure: 1. no dangerous precedent or “coach and horses” is being driven through the effectiveness of our Green Belt legislation, and 2. minimum area affected, with minimum noise and visual disturbance – for example, two-storey Park & Rides might be considered, screened around by sizeable, fast growing trees.

Stephen Lawrence (former highway inspector)
Crowell Road Cowley, Oxford