Many of Oxfordshire's roads are chronically, dangerously choked but people have few alternatives but to use them.

Many of Oxfordshire's main roads are choked and our rural roads are busier and more dangerous than ever. The answer is not to build more roads and tarmac over yet more of our countryside. Society and transport planners need to look for appropriate alternatives.

In Oxfordshire, we may not have a Heathrow, a Gatwick or a Stanstead, but we do have a major international airport - RAF Brize Norton - and a local airport at Kidlington.

Air traffic accounts for 10% of the UK’s contribution to climate change. Aircraft noise disrupts the tranquillity of the countryside. The land around airports turn into whopping car parks and sprawling developments that eat into the surrounding countryside.

It is often said that the Green Belt is one of the few planning policies recognised by the public. The concept of having a "green belt" around London to restrain appalling urban sprawl was promoted by CPRE and others from about 1930. Proposals for the Oxford Green Belt were submitted in 1958 but for various reasons were not formally approved until 1975. The Green Belt around Oxford covers 33,728 hectares (13% of land area of county).

In Oxfordshire more than half of us live in small towns or villages. We need to plan carefully, appropriately and wisely to build the homes we need.

With a growing population there is ever more pressure to build houses. Everyone deserves a decent place to live. With a little imagination we can have both the homes we need and the countryside we cherish.

There are many planning challenges currently facing Oxfordshire and the Oxford Green Belt including housing, windfarms, mineral extraction, waste and transport infrastructure. We consider each one on its merits and ask: it is appropriate? Is it needed? What impact will it have on our countryside and our communities?

Planning should be a balance between economic, social and environmental considerations. It is a crucial tool in protecting our countryside, while encouraging the right development in the right places for the right reasons.