RURAL Oxfordshire will be the topic of debate at a hustings event today.

Oxford West and Abingdon parliamentary candidates will go head-tohead at St Barnabas Church in Jericho.

The Oxfordshire branch of Campaign to Protect Rural England has organised the event ahead of the General Election on Thursday, May 7.

CPRE Oxfordshire campaign manager Helena Whall said: “The hustings event will provide the public with a rare opportunity to ask prospective parliamentary candidates to outline their vision for rural Oxfordshire.

“In the face of unprecedented growth in the county, with thousands of houses earmarked for the Green Belt around Oxford and Abingdon, and increased pressure on infrastructure, the general public are rightly concerned about the future of rural Oxfordshire.”

The hustings will be hosted by Oxford journalist Bill Heine and attended by Conservative Nicola Blackwood, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, Labour’s Sally Copley, the Green Party’s Larry Sanders, UKIP’s Alan Harris, the National Health Action Party’s Dr Helen Salisbury and the Socialist Party’s Mike Foster.

Topics will include how Oxfordshire will cope with a 40 per cent growth by 2031, how will affordable housing needs be met and will Oxfordshire still be a rural county in 20 years time?

The public hustings is from 7pm-9pm at the church in St Barnabas Street for residents to put forward questions.

For more information see, cpreoxon.org.uk/events/current-events/item/2429-cpreelection-debate-what-is-your-vision-forrural-oxfordshire