The coalition Government recently stated its commitment to protect the Green Belt from development. It emphasised that unmet housing need is unlikely to outweigh the harm to Green Belt and would not constitute the very special circumstances justifying development in it. Once established, Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases through the preparation or review of Local Plans.

Oxford Mail:

Oxford’s unique dreaming spires seen from Raleigh Park in North Hinksey. Increasing need for housing around the county has put unprecedented pressure on the Green Belt

At the same time, the Labour Party’s specially commissioned review of housing by Sir Michael Lyons was published. It concluded that a number of towns and cities, including Oxford, faced extreme challenges in accessing land to provide the housing that people living and working in the area desperately needed and recommended building Garden Cities, Garden Suburbs and expanding existing towns.

With the Labour-controlled City Council wanting to building 4,000 homes on Green Belt land it owns in South Oxfordshire and identifying other Green Belt sites outside its administrative area, the outcome of the next general election could determine whether this need can be met on current Green Belt land or in neighbouring District Councils’ administrative areas. Unless new employment, schools and services are provided as part of such large residential developments, as commuters access jobs as well as the wider infrastructure.

The Lyons Housing Review showed that nationally there is a need to build at least 243,000 homes a year to keep up with the number of new households being formed; in 2013 only 100,000 homes were built.

Today’s letters

Without building on areas like the Oxford Green Belt it is predicted that the county will be short of up to two million homes by 2020.

The outcome of the next general election will determine how Oxford will manage its acute housing shortage.

Paul Semple

Associate director at Meeson Williams Phillips

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