As part of the development of a regional spatial strategy for the South East, the need for further housing provision across the region up to 2026, has been investigated. The South East Plan will eventually replace the Oxfordshire Structure Plan and guide all development in the locality.
The South East of England Regional Assembly (SEERA) produced the draft document and suggested that a further 34,000 homes needed to be built in the Central Oxfordshire area.
The draft plan was subject to examination by a Panel appointed by the Secretary of State, during a four month Examination in Public (EiP).
The Panel report concluded that the draft provision of 34,000 was insufficient because economic factors had been given insufficient weight and too much weight had been given to the setting of Oxford and the Green Belt.
The Panel directed SEERA to update the draft Plan and provide for 40,100 homes, a further 6,100.
The panel report is available from the Government Office for the South East (GOSE).
SEERA will publish its proposed changes to the Plan in early 2008. There will then be a public consultation exercise.
The Panel also stated that there should be a selective review of the Green Belt, suggesting that some housing development might take place on these greenfield sites.
The 2005 Barker Reveiw highlighted Oxford as an example of a location where a strategy of containment, through the use of green belt, had been applied. In this case settlements had developed on the edge of
the greenbelt which led to a large number of commuters "jumping" the
green belt.
Although the proportion of green belt in the UK is higher than the OECD average, Barker did conclude that most of the green belt would be justified for one of the following reasons:
1. To check unrestricted sprawl;
2. To prevent neighbouring towns from merging;
3. to assist in safeguarding of the countryside from encroachment;
4. To assist in urban regeneration by encouraging recycling of derelict and other urban land.
Steven says: "Whilst the economic growth of the region needs to be protected and nurtured, and this inevitably means providing some supporting infrastructure the process for selecting suitable sites must be carefully managed. It is imperative that other infrastructure, in particular surface access infrastructure, is capable of supporting such new housing growth. Any development in the green belt should be carefully considered. In particualr the designation of any green belt should be reviewed to ensure that it is appropriate".