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'Yes' to 4,000 new homes

A housing estate roughly the size of Blackbird Leys looks like being built on land south of Grenoble Road in Oxford.

Last night, the Government gave an in-principle "yes" to a 4,000-home development on the site close to Oxford United's Stadium.

The landmark announcement - which came from the office of Communities Secretary Hazel Blears - was the strongest indication yet that the controversial scheme, opposed by Oxfordshire County Council, could finally start.

For years, city planners fought tooth-and-nail for a massive housing development on the edge of the city limits, arguing there was not enough space in the centre of Oxford. County Hall insisted homes should be built alongside the A34 in towns like Bicester and Didcot.

A 12-week period of consultation will now start before a final decision is made, but one senior Town Hall source said it would probably take a change of Government for the scheme to be scrapped.

The development will effectively become an eco-town, similar to one planned for Weston-on- the-Green, near Bicester, with 40 per cent of the sustainable 4,000 homes to be "affordable".

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: "After so much speculation, this is a green light for the principle of housing south of Grenoble Road and welcome recognition of Oxford's desperate need for more homes.

"It must be an opportunity for investment in facilities, for young and old, better amenities and shops so the existing communities benefit, as well as the new."

Stephen Ballard, 44, of Redwood Close, said: "By doubling the size of the Leys they hope to make it twice as nice, but it will be twice as nasty.

"It will become more like a city than an estate."

William Lewis, 61, of Firs Meadow, Greater Leys, said: "I suppose it's inevitable, but it is a great shame to infiltrate so much farmland."

Sam Carton, 34, of Nettlebed Mead, said: "It needs to be done somewhere, but there's not much greenery around here so it will be sad to see it go."

One planner last nightJuly17 said it would probably be another five years before a house appeared on the site.

Overall, 400 homes will be built each year in Oxford until 2026 - 100 a year more than already planned.

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner, board member for strategic development, said: "It appears the green light has been given for development on the edge of Oxford.

"This is a beacon of hope for people who are in housing need in Oxford or who are struggling to get on to the housing ladder.

"We will work with those living on the Leys to ensure this scheme is a real boost to the area."

Oxford's chief planner Michael Crofton Briggs said: "It is our long-held belief there should be an urban extension to Oxford.

"It is important because previous (planning policies) had been set by the county council and had always wanted to contain expansion in favour of putting development in market towns."

South Oxfordshire district councillor and Baldons Parish Council spokesman Elizabeth Gillespie said: "Oxford City Council is to blame for their housing crisis because they have been building businesses on brownfield sites, rather than homes.

"We will continue to oppose this scheme because it is not a sustainable location and is wrong for both the city and the villages."

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said: "All of the detail in this debate is rendered somewhat academic by the fact housebuilding in this country has ground to a halt."

South Oxfordshire MP John Howell, whose constituency covers Grenoble Road, said: "The Green Belt has a purpose - to prevent urban sprawl - and I can see nothing that undermines that legitimacy."

6:52am Friday 18th July 2008

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Posted by: Peter Metro, Blackbird Leys on 8:49am Fri 18 Jul 08
I live near there and it's hardly an area of outstanding beauty although they call it green belt! people need somewhere to live so I say build and build soon,why should our young people have to move to Bicester or Witney etc when they are bought up in Oxford and want to stay in Oxford.
Posted by: djb, oxford on 9:28am Fri 18 Jul 08
Peter, you are quite right, but I seriously doubt if they willgo to the children born and bred in oxford. Look out for the good old E.U. directive
Posted by: Eddy Grundy, Ambridge on 9:39am Fri 18 Jul 08
Clearly the previous posters have access to the councils housing list and policies. Could you educate the rest of us as to how many of these homes would be council owned homes and how many private. Also while your at it how many on the council housing list ARE from abroad. I'm sure the rest of us will want to know that you ARE basing your thoughts on FACTS and not hearsay, gossip, xenophobia or out and out racism.
Posted by: Andrew, Oxford on 10:41am Fri 18 Jul 08
Eddy Grundy - Standard for Oxford is around 50% of homes will be social housing.
Posted by: DanOxford on 11:06am Fri 18 Jul 08
This is entirely in keeping with the selfish 'greens' and wealthy Labour councillors such as Lord Mayor Susanna 'I live in Jericho, went to Sommerville College and enjoy yoga but hate cars' Pressel.

Expand the Universities, gentrify central areas, allow in vast numbers of economic migrants, dump Oxford families on peripheral estates and make them drive at 20mph and pay a fortune in parking if they DARE venture beyond the drab housing estate with minimal facilities, no employment and poor infrastructure.

No-one has the b*lls to tackle the issue that England's green belt is going to sacrificed so that people from poorer Countries can live in the UK, as immigration is going to be the greatest cause of the UK's rapid population growth.

An open- dor immigration policy is not going to provide houses for local people, as giving (our) money to poor people to have more children is not going to solve child poverty. The Socialists are destroying our city and Country.

2.3 million immigrants come to UK in 16 years
June 2, 2008

New Government figures have confirmed just how large has been the scale of immigration into the UK in recent years and show that that the vast majority who come to stay are from the third world.

An analysis of the latest immigration statistics from the Office of National Statistics by think-tank Migrationwatch shows that in the years 1991 – 2006 there was a net movement of some 2.3 million people to the UK - only 8% of which came from the new East European members of the EU.

www.migrationwatch.c


om
Posted by: Eddy Grundy, Ambridge on 11:07am Fri 18 Jul 08
Andrew wrote:
Eddy Grundy - Standard for Oxford is around 50% of homes will be social housing.
Thanks for that reply Andrew. Also, thanks to the editor of these comments for deleting previous offensive (not to me I hasten to add)comments.
Posted by: Eddy Grundy, Ambridge on 11:20am Fri 18 Jul 08
Re: DanOxford quote from migrationswatch.

Letter to the Daily Mail, 6 June 2008

An article in the Daily Mail suggested that some research was a joint effort between MigrationWatch and ONS. The National Statistician wrote to point this was not the case.

Issue date: 06 June 2008
Type: Letter to the Press

Sir

Your report ‘Third World migrants behind our 2.3m population boom’ (2 June) wrongly attributes this study to joint research between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and MigrationWatch. ONS was not involved in, or consulted about, the analysis. The research does make use of ONS figures, but we have reservations about the analysis.

Yours faithfully

Karen Dunnell
National Statistician
Office for National Statistics
Government Buildings
Cardiff Road
Newport NR10 8XG
Posted by: DanOxford on 11:49am Fri 18 Jul 08
I have made this point many times before but can we please stop saying that Migrationwatch forecasts are wrong. I have pointed out before that Migrationwatch assumptions are often below the Government Actuarys Department high migration variant. (29 July 2003)
An internal Home Office email they were obliged to release to MigrationWatch
Posted by: Eddy Grundy, Ambridge on 12:34pm Fri 18 Jul 08
I have made this point many times before but can we please stop saying that Migrationwatch forecasts are wrong. I have pointed out before that Migrationwatch assumptions are often below the Government Actuarys Department high migration variant. (29 July 2003)


Yes, I saw that quote from their website as well but can't seem to find any history behind it.

I DO think it's important to find the TRUE figures behind the housing shortage and not simply to accept untrustworthy evidence. Otherwise it simply gives fuel to those who just want to rant about "foreigners".
Posted by: Vicky, Oxford on 1:19pm Fri 18 Jul 08
We do need more houses in Oxford but you can guarantee that the majority of these houses will be given to immigrants....why is it impossible for the hard working English person to get any help in this country?
Posted by: Laura, Oxford on 1:24pm Fri 18 Jul 08
I TOTALLY agree with Vicky! Can you guarantee us Hardworking English people who want to buy houses will actually get the chance to do so? Uh.... I am sure not!
Posted by: anon, oxfordshire on 5:23pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Posted by: George Brown, Blackbird Leys on 10:01am Sat 19 Jul 08
anon wrote:
Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Another Blackbird Leys Basher does not have the guts to put his/her name
Posted by: Tom Smith on 2:46pm Sat 19 Jul 08
George Brown wrote:
anon wrote: Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Another Blackbird Leys Basher does not have the guts to put his/her name
George,the only people who say that Blackbird Leys is ok, are those who live there and cannot move.

Fair to say it is one of the worst estates i have ever seen.

and i have left my name.....
Posted by: Bob on 2:53pm Sat 19 Jul 08
Vicky wrote:
We do need more houses in Oxford but you can guarantee that the majority of these houses will be given to immigrants....why is it impossible for the hard working English person to get any help in this country?
The governenment sold the likes of you out long ago Vicky.


Mass immigration keeps the general public frustrated/annoyed,a
nd acts as a smoke screen to hide the crimes being commited by the government.


Illegal wars,murder of governemnt scientists,nothing is too extreme for the people you expect to be your moral compass.

Posted by: George Brown on 10:47pm Sat 19 Jul 08
Tom Smith wrote:
George Brown wrote:
anon wrote: Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Another Blackbird Leys Basher does not have the guts to put his/her name
George,the only people who say that Blackbird Leys is ok, are those who live there and cannot move. Fair to say it is one of the worst estates i have ever seen. and i have left my name.....
I own my house Icould move anytime I wanted to but I don't want to move
Posted by: Pat Moran, Cowley on 6:58am Sun 20 Jul 08
George Brown wrote:
Tom Smith wrote:
George Brown wrote:
anon wrote: Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Another Blackbird Leys Basher does not have the guts to put his/her name
George,the only people who say that Blackbird Leys is ok, are those who live there and cannot move. Fair to say it is one of the worst estates i have ever seen. and i have left my name.....
I own my house Icould move anytime I wanted to but I don\'t want to move
Yeah right, if you sold your house on Blackbird Leys where could you actually afford to move to??...Hartlepool? Dungeness? Swindon?

The sub-humans who reside on Blackbird Leys do so for a reason, they are dysfunctional, like a broken telly they are rightly tossed in the dump. I think the council is right to keep these so-called people out of the way on the edge of the city. These dregs of society cost taxpayers a fortune, shelling out for their housing benefits, endlessly paying for their drug rehab time after time . We pay a mint to put all these human rejects through school and they still cannot read or write. They just have babies, drink booze and smoke loads of fags and spliffs (even when pregnant). These emotional retards feel mentally and physically exhausted if they have to change a flippin' light-bulb. They are all social inadequates who are unemployable lazy wasters contributing absolutely nothing positive to the community or society as a whole.

If these vermin didn't exist we would all be paying far far less taxes and their would be hardly any crime. Life would be better without them.
Posted by: Tom on 3:17pm Sun 20 Jul 08
Pat Moran wrote:
George Brown wrote:
Tom Smith wrote:
George Brown wrote:
anon wrote: Let me guess this site will be called greater blackbird leys... another estate full of drugs, abuse and trouble makers?
Another Blackbird Leys Basher does not have the guts to put his/her name
George,the only people who say that Blackbird Leys is ok, are those who live there and cannot move. Fair to say it is one of the worst estates i have ever seen. and i have left my name.....
I own my house Icould move anytime I wanted to but I don\'t want to move
Yeah right, if you sold your house on Blackbird Leys where could you actually afford to move to??...Hartlepool? Dungeness? Swindon? The sub-humans who reside on Blackbird Leys do so for a reason, they are dysfunctional, like a broken telly they are rightly tossed in the dump. I think the council is right to keep these so-called people out of the way on the edge of the city. These dregs of society cost taxpayers a fortune, shelling out for their housing benefits, endlessly paying for their drug rehab time after time . We pay a mint to put all these human rejects through school and they still cannot read or write. They just have babies, drink booze and smoke loads of fags and spliffs (even when pregnant). These emotional retards feel mentally and physically exhausted if they have to change a flippin' light-bulb. They are all social inadequates who are unemployable lazy wasters contributing absolutely nothing positive to the community or society as a whole. If these vermin didn't exist we would all be paying far far less taxes and their would be hardly any crime. Life would be better without them.
Pat Moran for Prime Minister.
Posted by: Tara, Oxford on 1:26am Mon 21 Jul 08
Although I agree somewhat with Pat the would be Prime Minister, I think it unfair to tar everyone in this area with the same brush. My parents live in Osney and my Father was attacked. My Nan lives in Jericho and has done for the last 50+yrs, in her own house and she just about manages to make ends meet. She has had her home broken into and so have a couple of her friends. So yes, what a great, wonderful affluent places Jericho and Osney are to live in. Everywhere has good and bad areas just as well as good and bad people. Also living in Cowley isn't a million miles away from the Leys either, so it's not like you have a penthouse in Summertown now is it? If you don't like it on the Leys then don't bother visiting it again, I'm sure you and your short-sighted comments wont be missed.
Posted by: Roy Bailey, Crowthorne on 4:29pm Thu 24 Jul 08
I am a former Oxford City police officer, my mother lives in Headington and my daughter went to St Hilda's College. I am a regular visitor to the city and still regard it as my home town.

Given Oxford's homelessness problems, I welcome the government's approval to build much needed housing near Greater Leas. The fact that up to 50% will be social housing is also good news and should be applauded.

I look forward to this development and the opportunities it will present for innovative solutions to transport, much like the proposed echo town near Bicester.

I congratulate the City Council for their endeavours and wish them well.
Posted by: Terry Chandler on 5:51pm Wed 13 Aug 08
Social housing = crime & general low life.
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