Sir – CPRE Oxfordshire and the Oxford Green Belt Network (OGBN) are dismayed that Cherwell District Council has given consent to Oxford University to build an access road across Green Belt land between Begbroke and Yarnton (Report, May 19).

We strongly objected to this planning application since we believe the road will have a seriously adverse effect on the Green Belt, both in the short term by taking land out of accepted Green Belt use, and also in the longer term by inviting further forms of development because of the way that the road would carve up the land into developable plots.

Your readers may not be aware that the University of Oxford challenged the proposed development at Grenoble Road in the South East Plan simply because it wanted it instead on its own land at Begbroke. The inspector rejected that scheme, and it should not be revived on the back of this decision.

The whole area of land between the A44 and Kidlington is very vulnerable to development pressures, despite it serving as much-valued open space for local residents and acting as an important wildlife corridor, and fulfilling the purposes for which the Green Belt was intended.

We trust that it is still the policy of the council to protect this area and allow it to satisfy the purposes for which it was included in the Green Belt.

CPRE and OGBN will be scrutinising future planning applications in this area and we will object to any development that we deem inappropriate.

Dr Helena Whall, Campaign manager, CPRE Dr Ian Scargill, Chairman, Oxford Green Belt Network