ANOTHER week and another potential blow against major plans to improve the lot of this city because of Government cuts.

Last week Oxfordshire County Council revealed it was having to review £500m of schemes, many of them hugely significant pieces of infrastructure, because of anticipated cuts in Government funding.

Now Oxford City Council fears that there may not be the Government cash to drive through the affordable housing portion of developing west of Barton and for the road link.

About 1,000 homes are earmarked for the area, with half to be affordable or social housing.

It would be a catastrophe if the Government turned it down.

Economically, we are in a mess and tough decisions need to be made.

The new Government has already effectively killed off hopes of building 4,000 homes south of Grenoble Road, so Barton West takes on even more importance.

Affordable and social housing is vital so some of Oxford’s young people can live in the city.

Tough choices are needed, but so is a global assessment of the effects of each cut rather than wholesale slash and burn.