RESIDENTS are raising concerns about the possibility of a council building houses on a green belt site, which they say is susceptible to flooding.

Oxford City Council is exploring the potential to build houses on Park Farm field, New Marston as part of its Local Plan 2036.

However, worried locals from New Marston Residents’ Association (NMRA) met last night to discuss the future of the field.

The potential development is at the public consultation stage, allowing residents and locals to express their views.

See also: Residents furious at plans to build on community green space

Roy Darke, a former chair of the planning committee for Oxford east at the city council, said: “It’s an area that’s very often flooded, so the meeting was to increase pressure on the city council and take part in the public consultation and put across our views in a public way.

“We also want to commission our own flood risk assessment of the field.”

Mr Darke left the council in 2016 after eight years.

Before working for the council, he worked as a university lecturer in town planning at Oxford Brookes and The University of Sheffield.

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He lives adjacent to the field and although he admitted that there is a need for houses to be built, he said they need to be ‘built in the right place’.

NMRA says that the River Cherwell floods annually over the marsh and fields of New Marston.

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, cabinet member for planning and transport, said: “The landowner of Park Farm put the site forward for inclusion in the draft Oxford Local Plan 2036.

“Following consideration of constraints, the city council included the site as a proposed allocation back in 2017.

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“The objectors to Park Farm have had repeated opportunities to make their case to the independent planning inspectors as part of the Local Plan process, and have done so.

“It is now up to the independent planning inspectors as to whether or not Park Farm is included as a housing development site in the Local Plan.

“Public hearings concluded at the end of last year and the inspectors’ interim conclusions indicate the site selection process to be sound. However, we await their formal and final decision.”

The Local Plan assesses where to build houses and businesses in the city in the next fifteen years.