Campaigners aiming to stop the city council building houses on a popular reaction ground are working on a legal challenge.

Oxford City Council agreed last month to appropriate the land at New Hinksey Playground in Bertie Place, known locally as Bertie Park. 

Members of the Save Bertie Park campaign group attended and were left feeling dumbfounded as the decision was made. 

A planning application has been submitted for 30 homes on the site, and the city council has said these are needed to meet the city's ever-increasing housing need. 

Kaddy Beck, from the campaign group recently contacted the deputy prime minister Angela Rayner about the situation. 

READ MORE: Oxford campaigners angry over key decision on city park

Bertie Park campaigners (Image: Newsquest) Ms Beck said: “When Labour was elected, there was much talk about house building. The Save Bertie campaign asked Anneliese Dodds if the government wanted to build on recreation grounds. 

“This week we had a reply from Angela Rayner. She said her ministry currently has no plans to undertake a review of recreation grounds for housing, adding that recreation grounds are 'important for the health and well-being of communities.'

“Angela Rayner also said that there are no plans to alter government policy that states councils should not build on recreation land unless it is no longer needed.

"They are re-providing or replacing with alternative recreational provision which 'clearly outweighs the loss of the current or former use.' 

“We will lose 93 per cent of our space for free play. To 'offset' this loss, Oxford City Council wants to provide alternative recreational provision. Their alternative is improved access to an area of waste land, not visible from Bertie Park.” 

She added: “The Save Bertie Campaign is working on a legal challenge to the city council's decision to appropriate the park. If they can do this to Bertie Park, any local council will be able to do this to any other recreation ground in the country.”

The city council agreed to appropriate the land at a cabinet meeting at the Town Hall. 

After the anger shown by the campaign members, council leader Susan Brown said: “I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but that is the decision of this cabinet. We have in mind the severe shortage of housing in this city, so this is a balanced decision. 

“I'm very sorry that people were sufficiently upset that they disrupted the meeting.

"I do understand people's emotions about these issues, but we also have a duty to make sure we make adequate provision for social housing in Oxford.”

Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, added: “The houses at Bertie Place will be social rents and shared ownership.

"I think the plans do get the balance right in providing housing and protecting the quality of the local amenities.”

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  • Advert-light access       
  • Reader rewards       
  • Full access to our app

About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby