1,000 signatures reached
To: Alex Hollingsworth
Final chance to save Redbridge Meadow!
Please halt the plans to build new housing on Redbridge Meadow, a vital part of Oxfords Greenbelt.
Why is this important?
Whilst we are in the midst of a climate emergency, Oxford City Council have been ploughing ahead with their plans to take away yet another stretch of our green belt.
Greenbelts are essential to both people and wildlife. Living near green spaces has been to found to massively help people who suffer from mental health problems. If our recent lockdown has taught us anything it is that we need to have more green spaces in urban areas, not less.
Green spaces help improve air quality. Redbridge meadow is home to dozens of baby trees as well as many older ones. It also has the potential to have more planted. These trees suck carbon out of our atmosphere, increase rainfall and actively help to combat climate change. Getting rid of this meadow now is a crime against the climate.
Redbridge meadow is a haven of biodiversity. It's home to birds, bees, insects, foxes, hedgehogs, wildflowers and dung beetles. It is a recovery home for rescue horses. Recently I got to enjoy watching a colony of bats enjoy the the meadow at sunset too.
It doesn't flood, like the other side of the river, when there is heavy rainfall. Instead it provides a much needed sanctuary for the deer and other animals to escape those floods.
Recently we have been experiencing extreme heat waves in the UK. This is felt the worst in urban areas where green spaces are scarce. Building on the meadow would destroy the the plants that are cooling our air. Replacing those plants with heat absorbing materials such as concrete or asphalt is going to increase health risks during warmer days.
This land also used to be a landfill site. Meaning that the council needs to go through extra safety measures when building to try and prevent possible gas leaks, which can lead to explosions if not taken care of properly.
So why would the council be doing something like this?
They are building under the guise of affordable housing. However they have already said that only around 80 out of 200 will be 'genuinely' affordable. That is less than 50%. Due to the meadows riverside location, easy access to the city centre and higher cost of building due to it being an old landfill site, it is not realistic that these homes will be truly affordable.
In these changing times, there are lot's of innovative solutions to the housing crisis. Taking away our green sites can no longer be seen as the solution!
So please, Alex Hollingsworth and other city council members. Cancel your plans to build on Redbridge Meadow. Please prioritise the people, our health, the wildlife and our very pressing climate crisis.
Greenbelts are essential to both people and wildlife. Living near green spaces has been to found to massively help people who suffer from mental health problems. If our recent lockdown has taught us anything it is that we need to have more green spaces in urban areas, not less.
Green spaces help improve air quality. Redbridge meadow is home to dozens of baby trees as well as many older ones. It also has the potential to have more planted. These trees suck carbon out of our atmosphere, increase rainfall and actively help to combat climate change. Getting rid of this meadow now is a crime against the climate.
Redbridge meadow is a haven of biodiversity. It's home to birds, bees, insects, foxes, hedgehogs, wildflowers and dung beetles. It is a recovery home for rescue horses. Recently I got to enjoy watching a colony of bats enjoy the the meadow at sunset too.
It doesn't flood, like the other side of the river, when there is heavy rainfall. Instead it provides a much needed sanctuary for the deer and other animals to escape those floods.
Recently we have been experiencing extreme heat waves in the UK. This is felt the worst in urban areas where green spaces are scarce. Building on the meadow would destroy the the plants that are cooling our air. Replacing those plants with heat absorbing materials such as concrete or asphalt is going to increase health risks during warmer days.
This land also used to be a landfill site. Meaning that the council needs to go through extra safety measures when building to try and prevent possible gas leaks, which can lead to explosions if not taken care of properly.
So why would the council be doing something like this?
They are building under the guise of affordable housing. However they have already said that only around 80 out of 200 will be 'genuinely' affordable. That is less than 50%. Due to the meadows riverside location, easy access to the city centre and higher cost of building due to it being an old landfill site, it is not realistic that these homes will be truly affordable.
In these changing times, there are lot's of innovative solutions to the housing crisis. Taking away our green sites can no longer be seen as the solution!
So please, Alex Hollingsworth and other city council members. Cancel your plans to build on Redbridge Meadow. Please prioritise the people, our health, the wildlife and our very pressing climate crisis.
