29 October 2007

Today the government's nature watchdog is one year of age. At a national level CPRE has taken Natural England to task for not doing enough to protect landscapes and threatening the green belts of England. In Oxfordshire, CPRE is asking whether Natural England's stance is threatens the green belt south of Grenoble Road.

In a speech today, Sir Martin Doughty, Chairman of Natural England calls for a review of green belt policy to accommodate house building on the edge of cities rather than the more "vulnerable parts of the natural environment". This is being reported in several national newspapers.

Andy Boddington for CPRE Oxfordshire says: "Natural England's attack on the green belt will undoubtedly gladden the hearts of those who wish to see Oxford sprawl over the hills and meadows that surround it, including south of Grenoble Road. Worse, because Natural England is suggesting that land that its not of high ecological value can be built on, it has issued an open invitation to run the rural landscape down."

Andy welcomed Natural England's support for green infrastructure, which echoes CPRE's call for the green grid for Oxford. "But we are concerned that Natural England is not proposing any formal mechanisms to encourage and protect green infrastructure, but it is calling for a review of green belt policy. There is a very great danger that green infrastructure will be left to negotiations between planners and developers, and that developers will trade off green infrastructure against affordable housing. We need both green space and affordable housing and undermining the green belt is not the way to achieve that."

Andy continues: "CPRE still believes that an urban extension south of Grenoble Road will damage the character of Oxford and will be just be the first step in the city growing out of control. Sir Martin Doughty's speech is beating the retreat to a countryside of wildlife zoos surrounded by Los Angeles style sprawl."

Further Information

• CPRE assessment of Natural England's first year
• Natural England on its first year