I would like to draw your attention to a statement made by the Inspector in the Introduction and Overall Conclusions of his Report on the Examination into the Oxford Core Strategy, which included the Northern Gateway Development Plan (December, 2010).

It says: “Oxford, particularly its central area, is undoubtedly an area of exceptional historic quality and international importance and it is somewhat surprising that the SA (Sustainability Appraisal) does not give the historic environment a greater profile.”

There is no comment on this issue from English Heritage, but it seems to me that coverage of the historic environment is brief.

It does not distinguish between the different elements that contribute to the overall quality and importance of the area, with little reference, for example, to archaeology. Its coverage of baseline data is limited, with little analysis of physical effects or mitigation measures.

I have seldom read a more damning indictment of a city council’s attitude towards an internationally acclaimed, historic city that it has been elected to protect and serve.

In view of the above, I suppose we should hardly be surprised that Councillor Mike Gotch (elected to serve the people and environment of Wolvercote ward) leapt to his feet at the public meeting in Wolvercote Village Hall on Friday, September 4, to tell us that the Northern Gateway Development was going to happen anyway, regardless of the irrevocable and long-term damage, in terms of visual and atmospheric pollution, that this huge development will undoubtedly cause to surrounding areas.

There will be a huge increase in traffic congestion in an already over-congested road network.

And there are many, many other reasons why the Wolvercote roundabout is completely the wrong site for a development of the scale proposed by the Northern Gateway Area Action Plan, that have already been well documented by other writers to this column.

One of Oxford City Council’s listed objectivesin its plan is a woolly commitment to respond to the context of the natural and historic environment.

Does it honestly believe that building a vast conurbation on the doorstep of a large tract of land like Port Meadow with Scheduled Ancient Monument status represents an appropriate response?

Local objections to the Northern Gateway development in this area are not based on NIMBYism, but on very real concerns that, far from responding to the context of the natural and historic environment, the council is clearly more than happy for it to be wilfully and irrevocably debased.

The Port Meadow area has SAM status and needs our protection from such environmental threats.

Harriet Milles

Wolvercote Green

Oxford

 

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