OXFORD University is a major player in the drive to increase the county’s housing stock by 40 per cent by 2031, saying that more housing is essential to help with its staff recruitment and business expansion.
Yet it seems that some of the colleges are not on board. Evidence submitted by Oxford City Council to this week’s hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway development states that St John’s College, which owns much of the land, refused to release it for anything other than employment use, preferring it otherwise to remain vacant.
The Northern Gateway area is therefore slated to accommodate at least 4,000 jobs, possibly as many as 8,000, whilst only providing 500 houses. You don’t need to be a graduate to work out that this will severely exacerbate Oxford’s jobs versus housing balance, as well as worsening commuter problems.
Providing transport and environmental impacts can be managed, CPRE Oxfordshire believes the site should instead be used to build up to 1,500 new homes to address Oxford’s housing shortage, rather than creating yet more commuting into the city.
HELEN MARSHALL Director, CPRE Oxfordshire High Street, Watlington
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here