NEWS that Oxford Stadium has been struck off a list of potential housing sites will be met with a roar of approval by speedway and greyhound fans.

It will keep hopes alive that speedway may once again return to the city.

But the decision to strike the site off the list of possible housing sites raises a broader issue.

The city council has repeatedly stated more homes need to be built to address a chronic housing shortage.

It admits its own planning blueprint for the coming decades – the Core Strategy – does not contain enough new houses to meet predicted demand even with the proposed 1,000-home development at Barton West.

So while stadium supporters rejoice, councillors face the dilemma of “where next?”.

There are few, if any, pieces of land in the city that could be developed without stiff opposition.

Suggested sites such as Headington car park and now the stadium prove that point.

The problem for the council is compounded by the fact the city is pretty much built up to the Green Belt and the city boundary.

It again raises the need for a Green Belt review. Whatever your opinion, the city’s housing issue must be solved and the answer will be hard for some to swallow.