Oxford city council planning committee has approved plans for building 100% social/affordable housing on Bertie Park. This depends on the award of a Homes England grant. If they don’t get the grant, they have to go back to planning committee.
They will plant blackberry bushes to make sure that people can’t wander off the path in site B (land behind Wytham St). On site A it’s now clear that only 11% of the current Bertie Park will be left for recreation. There’s no requirement to meet the needs of current or even future users. The only planning conditions imposed were for “provision of (some) playground equipment for children up to 12 years of age” and “measures for the Multi Use Games Area to be secured from “dusk till dawn.” Thames Valley Police concerns were largely ignored.
We think there are other issues that are clear grounds for judicial review. Watch this space! The whole meeting is available on the council’s YouTube site. Our speeches start at 18.50m.
We don’t object to social housing, but to the lack of facilities for young people. We don’t know what local governance will be like after the review, but the next battle has to be for a proper recreation policy.
Save Bertie Park Oxford 