Green belt row sparked by L&G housing drive

BRITAIN’s biggest investment manager has been dragged into a row after it agreed to pay to build homes on the green belt.

Legal & General has backed Oxford University’s plan for 2,000 homes at Begbroke, a village with a science park just outside the city.

The university says it will help tackle a housing shortage and provide accommodation for students and academic staff.

But the proposals face fierce opposition from nearby residents who say it will carve up protected green space and lead to urban sprawl.

The row is an embarrassing setback for L&G, which is ramping up efforts to fund housing and infrastructure schemes across the UK. Chief executive Nigel Wilson ( pictured) has said the Oxford partnership, under which L&G will provide cash and the university provides land, will be a blueprint for similar proposals elsewhere.

But campaigners are bitterly opposed. Giles Lewis of the Cherwell development Watch Alliance, said: ‘This would be on protected green belt land and there are still questions about how the figures for unmet housing need in Oxford have been calculated. There are strong feelings about this – people are very much opposed to it.’ Helen Marshall, of the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) Oxfordshire branch, said: ‘you have to ask: “What kind of city do we want Oxford to be in 50 years’ time?” These types of schemes would put it on course to be a metropolis like Birmingham. Others would argue this is a historic countryside area.’ The Begbroke proposals have not yet been approved by Cherwell district Council, but they are part of a broad ‘local plan’ for the area that was recently supported by a government planning inspector. However, the CPRE is exploring possible legal challenges which could cause months, and possibly years, of delays. A development would be part of a £ 4bn deal struck between L&G and the university, which also includes several other sites in the area. The plans put L&G at odds with new Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

during the Tory leadership competition, Johnson said: ‘The idea that green field or green belt land needs to be sacrificed to build affordable homes is a nonsense.’

The university and L&G insisted the proposals would provide ‘much needed housing’ for staff and Oxford as well as more high-tech jobs at the science park. ‘The district council has proposed that this land be removed from the green belt and designated for development,’ they said.

‘We support this proposal and want to make the best possible use of the land for new housing and employment.’