Councillors more familiar with defending locations for proposed developments were shocked at a meeting when they received two offers of land available for house building.
Oxfordshire County Council's rolling roadshow review into the county Structure Plan, reached Oxford Town Hall on Monday. About 35 people attended the consultation meeting.
The county council must plan for 36,000 new homes to meet Oxfordshire's housing needs by 2016 -- 12,000 more than originally proposed. About 5,500 of the extra 12,000 now being considered would be built in Oxford, while a further 1,000 are proposed for Green Belt land south of Grenoble Road, near Greater Leys.
Most residents last night spoke against the development on Green Belt land. Opponents from villages including Marsh Baldon, Sandford and Garsington were backed by Oxfordshire Preservation Trust, which fears that allowing development in the Green Belt would pave the way for future decisions to eat further into protected land.
Mike Hedges, who owns 44 acres of land in Milton Common, said he would gladly step into the breach to save Oxford's Green Belt by allowing all the houses needed for the city to go on his fields. He said he could accommodate at least 4,000 houses, and Milton Common was close enough to accommodate Oxford's key workers who needed affordable homes. He said: "I've got a field right by the M40, near junction seven. It's not Green Belt land. I wrote to the council, but haven't got a reply. Why doesn't somebody come and have a look?"
Officers said it was the first they had heard of the offer and had received no letter.
Meanwhile Faringdon Town Council is also desperate for housing to be built there to enable the town to thrive. Council member Alan Hickmore said: "We have consulted comprehensively with local people, who agree our town needs more population. We want to increase by 3,000 in this period. Don't put your houses in the Green Belt, there's no need - we'll take them." Mr Hickmore said the council was serious in its offer.
Anne Purse, county councillor responsible for strategic planning, who chaired the meeting, asked for both offers to be made again in writing. She said: "I think this is the first meeting where we are actually having offers on where to put the housing."
Comments on the Structure Plan must be made in writing by November 7.