News
Council attacks Secretary of State's proposal for 4,000 homes in the Green Belt
Release date: Jul 18, 200
A poor proposal in the wrong place
South Oxfordshire District Council today reacted with disappointment to Hazel Blear’s announcement that she was supporting the proposal for an urban extension to Oxford.
In her proposed changes to the South East Plan, the Secretary of State has signalled her support for an urban extension to Oxford. This extension, to be known as the South Oxford Strategic Development Area, will comprise around 4,000 homes to be built by 2026. The precise location of the development is yet to be determined but will be in the general area of Grenoble Road, which marks the southern boundary of Oxford City. All of the land under review falls in South Oxfordshire district and all is within the Oxford Green Belt.
Cllr Angie Paterson, Cabinet Member for Planning, says:
“This is very disappointing but not wholly unexpected news. Once the panel charged with looking at the South East Plan had recommended an urban extension to Oxford I feared it was unlikely the Secretary of State would reject it. I remain opposed to the proposal as does the council as a whole. We will convene a meeting in the near future with others who oppose this development to discuss how best to respond to the Secretary of State. She says her proposals are out for consultation. I hope she is serious and is willing to listen to the very powerful arguments that we have for saying that this is a poor proposal in the wrong place that will harm not just Oxford but the economy of the county as a whole.”
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