Oxford, England. A destination for tourists and intellectuals worldwide. A place full of beauty, but also of cruelty. The trouble with this city is that it is bursting at the seams. It wants to expand over the green fields that surround it. And it wants to build on Warneford Meadow.

For decades this unkempt meadow has been used by local residents to stroll and play. It is rich in wildlife, but sadly not rich enough to get an environmental designation. It is a community resource but communities now count for so little in the crowded south east of England.

The meadow was given to the local mental health hospital for the benefit of its patients. It has been open to walkers long since and provides calm in a hectic city. But the National Health Service now wishes to sell it to developers, including the land-hungry Oxford Brookes University. It is a cruel act in a city known for its beauty. Hundreds of people in the local community are protesting. But will they be heard? Decisions on the future of Warneford Meadow are being made in the coming weeks but the battle is bound to drag out in the courts.

We need to save this meadow. We need to save meadows everywhere. We need tranquil green spaces as much as we need a vibrant urban townscape.

 http://www.cpreoxon.org.uk/campaigns/oxon/oxford/warneford_meadow.htm