READERS have said a plan which could see more than 10,000 homes built in Oxford during the next 16 years, including on untouched countryside, will only make the housing situation worse.

The most liked comment on our original story, about planning inspectors agreeing with Oxford City Council's estimate for the number of new houses needed by 2036, was from Nomis65.

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They said: “Interesting isn’t it. The argument against building more roads to reduce congestion is that demand will only increase to consume the extra capacity, so eventually you’ll need to build even more roads. The real answer, apparently, is to persuade people to ditch their cars and walk / cycle / use public transport instead."

They added: "Building more housing has the same outcome in that it encourages people to move to the area and increase demand, but somehow that is seen as not merely acceptable, but actually desirable.”

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There was also disagreement with inspectors view that green belt land could be built on, Wilderness2019 writing: "I don't even know where to start with this. Well done government - keep building, building, building and destroy our green belt. More cars. More pollution. Less wildlife and clean air. Keep going. Well done."

Mad Mutt, meanwhile, wrote: "Nobody has mentioned flooding. Building on this scale on green land will only make the problem much, much worse, and that's without added climate change.

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"No amount of flood alleviation will compensate for the additional surface run off generated and the loss of places for the excess water to go."

PhilS added: “It’s already difficult to see where the city ends, and urban sprawl begins. This will make it a whole lot worse.”

There were some who agreed with the need for extra houses though, with Eammon Midland saying: “The usual nimbies whinging. Get them built.”