Preserve green lung (From The Oxford Times)

Preserve green lung

8:10am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Letters

Sir – Robert Mitchell is mistaken in his surmise that the British Rail Residuary Board land has got extensive tree cover (Letters, January 26). The aerial photograph reproduced (January 19) was taken before the site was recently cleared. The only trees remaining are those that border Oxpens Meadow.

The visual aesthetics and the green lung which he so rightly wishes to see promoted in this part of the city can, under current city policy, only be provided by the retention of Oxpens Meadow as a public open space for informal recreation.

It was for this reason that, over three years ago, the local residents’ association Sendra applied for Town Green status for the meadow. As local residents we are only too well aware of the need to regenerate the rundown fabric of the city in this neighbourhood and we have consistently argued that an increase in housing and commercial activity in the West End will enhance the importance of Oxpens Meadow as a green lung and a habitat for wildlife.

We have been aware for some time that, in order to improve the development potential of the British Rail site, the city wishes to carry out certain work on the meadow which would, in effect, transfer the flood-carrying capacity of the BR land to the meadow. This could not be done if the meadow was already a registered town green.

Therefore the Friends of Oxpens Meadow have been negotiating with the council to ensure that, when such works are undertaken, the city will itself apply to register Oxpens Meadow as a town green. We are hoping that such an undertaking will be formally given by the city executive board at its meeting on February 8.

Rosemary Fennell, Chairman, Friends of Oxpens Meadow