I AM writing concerning parish support for keeping the Green Belt.

As this council strongly supports the Green Belt to prevent urban sprawl spreading out to fill the gap between Oxford and Gosford/Kidlington, your headline (July 3, U’s May Move to a New Ground), has been read with dismay.

Since becoming the parish clerk in the early 1980s, the council has always been active in resisting such large developments on this side of Oxford, where the U’s at that time tried to build a football stadium. Over the years the council has objected to many other proposals such as supermarkets, an Alice in Wonderland theme park and a number of inappropriate housing and business developments.

In December 1981 Oxford City Council published a boundary review consultation paper about possibly taking Gosford and Water Eaton and Kidlington (including the airport) into its boundary. Although this did not materialise it was not long afterwards that the Boundary Commission recommended that the city boundary should include a large area of parish Green Belt land located between A34 Peartree and Wolvercote. Then in time the city council methodically removed its Green Belt status and this area has now become the Oxford Northern Gateway development.

This latest proposed intention by the U’s appears to be another move by Oxford City to try and include the parish and probably Kidlington into its boundary. The previous attempt resulted in the loss of the Peartree area, even after holding a referendum which demonstrated that this was happening against local wishes. If this proposal by the U’s becomes an official proposition, then it is hoped all authorities and amenity groups who are desperate to keep the Green Belt gap on the north side of Oxford and committed government assurance will resist it.

CARL SMITH (Acting Temporary Clerk)
Gosford and Water Eaton Parish Council

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