Green Belt Boundaries - letter to press from the Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 17th Jul 2006

Recent discussions over the Green Belt around Oxford have included some calls for its boundaries to be reviewed.

That is a dangerous suggestion as the whole point of a Green Belt is that it should be as good as permanent to ensure that it safeguards the individuality of communities and avoids urban sprawl. Once you start to review it where do you end?

The government's 'Planning Policy Guidance 2' (PPG2) on Green Belts is surprisingly clear on the issue of change. It states simply: 'The essential characteristic of Green Belts is their permanence.'

This guidance goes on to say: 'Once the general extent of a Green Belt has been approved it should be altered only in exceptional circumstances.' I know of no such 'exceptional circumstances' which would justify reconsideration of the land around Oxford scheduled as Green Belt. The organic, entirely predictable growth of Oxford is not 'exceptional' in any way and offers no justification for a review.

The PPG2 guidance from the government further states: 'Where existing local plans are being revised and updated, existing Green Belt boundaries should not be changed unless alterations to the structure plan have been approved, or other exceptional circumstances exist, which necessitate such revision.'

It would perhaps be useful for the advocates of such a review to clarify precisely what the 'exceptional circumstances' are which would justify a review. I wonder if those Tories who have questioned the current Green Belt boundaries and who often conveniently live elsewhere in the county might wish to rise to this particular challenge.

If they cannot, perhaps we could all agree to leave the Green Belt alone for everyone to enjoy and benefit from for decades to come and to consider alternative options for Oxford which do not threaten surrounding communities.

Yours faithfully

Cllr Jerry Patterson