LUC has been appointed by Oxfordshire County Council (on behalf of the Oxfordshire Local Authorities) to undertake an assessment of the Green Belt within the County.

The findings of our assessment will inform the consideration of future long-term growth options for the county and form part of the evidence base for Local Plan preparation. The study will draw on LUC’s previous work on the landscape character and historic setting of Oxford, including key views of the spires from surrounding landmarks.

This commission adds to the wealth of experience LUC has in this area: a similar study for Coventry City Council and five neighbouring authorities, Green Belt Reviews for South Staffordshire District Council, Cannock Chase District, the London Borough of Waltham Forest, and of the Edinburgh, Stirling, Dunfermline and Strathblane Green Belts in Scotland. Together with LUC’s experience of acting for private developers in relation to Green Belt sites, this give us an excellent understanding of the most appropriate ways to accommodate future growth whilst minimising harm to the Green Belt.

LUC’s involvement in Green Belt policy development and review started in the early 1990s when we undertook a major study for the London Planning Advisory Committee on ‘landscape change in London’s Green Belt and MOL’, which led to the inclusion of ‘positive roles’ for the Green Belt, as well as restrictive ones, in Strategic Planning Guidance for London. This was later reflected in a revised version of PPG2 on Green Belts. In 2013 we prepared a definitive map of the London Breen Belt for the London Green Belt Council.