CPRE demands re-think on Green Belt expansion plans -
CPRE, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, has said that it is time for a re-think on plans for Oxford’s housing expansion in Green Belt, following Oxford City Council's announcement to delays its Core Strategy.
The government has said it will not contest judicial challenges over its failure to carry out assessments of reasonable alternatives to the Green Belt reviews for areas south of Oxford and north-east of Guildford.
Following the successful legal challenge to the South East Plan by CPRE Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire District Council and the University of Oxford, plus two other groups, over the proposed expansion into the Green Belt at Grenoble Road, Oxford City Council have now announced that their Core Strategy will be put on hold.
The City’s Core Strategy, setting out the City’s plans to 2026, had been the subject of an Examination in Public through the summer, finishing on 11th September, 2009.
CPRE have said that the Inspector had been aware of the legal challenge to the SE Plan’s recommended 4,000 house expansion into the Green Belt, but at that stage was not able to take account of it, despite the implications for other proposals in the Core Strategy.
"It is now clear," says CPRE, "that the controversial policy for the expansion into the Green Belt south of the City will effectively be quashed, and the City in turn will not be able to proceed with its plans in the Core Strategy until the Secretary of State has decided in detail how the SE Plan must be amended.
"As the first Inspector is retiring, a second Inspector will have to take over and it is likely that the Examination in Public will have to be re-opened in the New Year in order that the issue can be properly considered and a final Inspector’s report issued on the City’s plans."
CPRE has also stated that it understands that one of the key City proposals which is likely to be affected is the controversial Northern Gateway scheme, which promoted further employment growth and development on two parcels of Green Belt land.
"With the 4,000 house expansion now quashed, there is little basis for this scheme," it said.
Ed. I would like to have given Oxford City's side of story but no one was available to talk to me this afternoon from the Council, and the council's website proved to be frustratingly non user-friendly on the subject. If they come back to me, ThameNews.Net will of course report the council's views.
