Councils clash over homes site

5:16am Friday 5th September 2008

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A row has erupted over a bid by Oxford City Council to change its boundary with South Oxfordshire, to help pave the way for a controversial 4,000-home development.

The city council has asked the Boundary Committee for England to redraw its boundary to take in the land south of Grenoble Road, near Greater Leys. The area currently lies within the South Oxfordshire district.

But the city wants to take control of the parcel of land, making it the planning authority, in an attempt to speed up the housing proposals.

The move has angered South Oxfordshire District Council, which opposes any extension of the city's built-up area.

South Oxfordshire councillor Elizabeth Gillespie, who lives in nearby Toot Baldon, said: "This is completely underhand. Oxford is doing this so they can say they're not building on our Green Belt, which is there as a boundary for the city.

"If Oxford get these boundaries changed, we will get a lawyer to look at starting a judicial review to challenge it.

"Boris Johnson (the former MP for Henley) said he would stand in front of the bulldozers to stop this happening, but there would be a barricade of people in front of bulldozers if they go ahead with this development."

The Government's Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, paved the way for the development in July when she announced changes to the region's planning blueprint, the South East Plan.

The last time the city boundary was redrawn was in 1986, when Rose Hill and Littlemore moved from south Oxfordshire.

District council leader Ann Ducker said: "We'll do everything in our power to make sure this boundary change doesn't happen.

"We have got a big fight on our hands to try to stop this and we're ready for it. This could lead to more attempts to make changes to the boundary in the Vale or in Cherwell."

A letter to the Boundary Committee from city council chief executive Peter Sloman said the Town Hall was concerned that South Oxfordshire was not approaching the plan in a "collaborative way".

City council leader Bob Price said: "We want to move to a position where we're the planning authority. If it was in our control, it would be quicker."

Deputy leader Ed Turner, the executive member for housing and strategic planning, said: "Most of the residents of these homes will work in the city, travel into the city for leisure, use city facilities like Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, so it makes sense for them to be included in the city boundary."