THE dilemma of Oxford’s development has at its heart the past, present and future.

The basic problem is a simple one: Oxford is the economic powerhouse of the county, but it does not have the land needed for the new housing to fuel its expected expansion.

The past, in the form of a historic city, places a physical and cultural constraint on how it can move forward.

Present planning policy, the protection of the Green Belt and the abolition of regional housing plans, mean the city is isolated and tightly hemmed in by its boundary.

Most important of all is the question of its future – can and should Oxford continue to expand and, if not, what are the implications on the region’s job prospects, transport network and housing?

It is not for Government planning inspector Shelagh Bussey to solve this perennial housing problem.

However, her inquiry has ensured the sites ripe for development in the coming years, and the policies governing future building, have been properly scrutinised.

As for the bigger question of what kind of Oxford we want and need in the latter part of the 21st Century, that remains to be answered.