House prices and the Green Belt - letter to Oxford Mail

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

To single out the Oxford Green Belt as 'the reason' for high house prices and lack of space in the city (Green Belt 'blamed' for high prices, July 14, 06) is to give a completely one-eyed view.

House price rises in Oxfordshire are the outcome of several factors including overall demand in the S.E. region, buyers' incomes and wealth as well as the popularity of Oxfordshire and that beautiful jewel of the British Crown, Oxford. Reasons for the lack of space to build in the city include the fact that remaining brownfield and safeguarded land sites in the city have not yet been released for development.

In fact, protecting the Oxford Green Belt from inappropriate development has the effect of encouraging the release of such sites, before the city has to sprawl out into the Green Belt.

Labour city councillors like to promote Oxford's expansion into the Green Belt as a way of delivering more affordable housing. However, we should not forget that the city council owns some of the Green Belt land south of Grenoble Road where some 8,000 new homes have been proposed. The same city councillors also hold strong ambitions to make Oxford a new unitary authority - preferably with expanded boundaries.

Many Oxford residents value and support the Oxford Green Belt as a vital tool for preserving the special character and landscape setting of Oxford.

At a recent public Question and Answer session, Labour City Cllr Ed Turner described the Oxford Green Belt as a 'strait-jacket' on the city. Does that mean that when he walks into an Oxford park or recreation ground it feels like someone has slapped some handcuffs on him?

Yours sincerely

Cllr Tessa Ward

District Councillor, Sunningwell and Wootton Ward