It is perhaps not surprising that Cllr Tom Hayes, who lists his job as case worker for our Labour MP, has written a series of letters in your pages (November 19 and December 1, 4) attacking the Greens.

No doubt this is part of the widely reported national campaign (led by Labour frontbencher Sadiq Khan) launched in response to the growth in public support for the Greens (a doubling of membership within the last 12 months).

We think many of their own members might wonder why they are spending so much energy attacking the Greens when the Tories and UKIP are surely a far greater threat – both numerically and in terms of their damaged vision for the country.

Green opposition to the Westgate plans was the most recent topic to rile Cllr Hayes. He was not at the planning meeting where the matter was voted on otherwise he may have better understood the Green position on this.

Today’s letters

We believe that Oxford’s housing crisis is so severe (we are the least affordable city in the UK), and suitable development land in Oxford so scarce, that any new development needs to include the maximum number of affordable housing units possible. At sites owned by the city council, such as the Westgate land, we believe that 100 per cent of the homes should be affordable housing association, or preferably, new council social housing.

Yet the Westgate plans put before the planning committee contained no affordable housing at all – only 59 luxury apartments (which will net the developers an estimated £25m).

The whole area within the ring road is fast becoming a place where only the rich can afford to live.

Only tough intervention in the housing market by the council can rectify the situation.

Developments such as the recent Westgate plans, which ignore the housing crisis, only serve to make the problem worse.

Cllr Sam Hollick (Group Leader) Cllr Craig Simmons (Deputy Group Leader) Cllr Ruthi Brandt Cllr David Thomas Cllr Elise Benjamin Cllr Dick Wolff City Council Green Group

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