THOUSANDS of extra homes should be built across sites in Oxford not earmarked for development, according to three councils.

A report produced for South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and Cherwell district councils said sites including Oxford Stadium and Oxford Golf Club should be built on to help tackle the city’s chronic housing shortage.

Yesterday city council leader Bob Price rejected the report’s findings, calling them neither sensible nor viable.

It is the latest in a row over where thousands of homes should be built, with Oxford’s need expected to be 32,000 by 2031.

Oxford City Council has identified sites for 10,200 and has called on its neighbours to find space for the rest.

But the report said it should instead look again within its own boundaries, where it was claimed more than 5,000 extra homes could be built.

The document said: “It would be remiss of Oxford City Council to propose the co-operation of neighbouring authorities to meet their own housing need without fully considering their own internal sites.”

It suggested Oxford Golf Club at Hill Top Road should be turned into a 1,300-home development and greyhound racetrack Oxford Stadium bulldozed to make way for 220 homes.

This was despite the golf club’s location on the Green Belt, which is protected from urban development, and the stadium’s recently confirmed status as a heritage asset, meaning any development on the site must adhere to strict rules.

It also said the proposed Northern Gateway business park’s housing figure should be increased from 500 to 800.

City council leader Bob Price said: “This report suggests a whole range of things that go against our Local Plan, which has already been approved by a planning inspector.

“The golf course is part of the city’s ‘green wedge’ and the greyhound stadium is a viable leisure facility that is loved by many people.

“We have no belief they are sensible or viable options for development.”

The row between councils over where homes should be built comes after a report released last year said more than 100,000 new homes were needed in the county by 2031.

The city council had long called for sites such as Grenoble Road near Greater Leys to be freed up for housing.

But it has faced opposition from South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, because the site lies within the Green Belt.

South Oxfordshire District Council leader John Cotton said: “It [the city council] has got to look again.

Building on the Green Belt should be the last place we are looking at for housing.”

The report suggested hundreds more homes at the proposed Northern Gateway business park near Wolvercote Roundabout, an idea the city council has rejected because it is an employment site set to generate thousands of jobs.

It also claimed Oxford Stadium should be replaced by 220 homes.

The largest site identified was the 86-acre Oxford Golf Club.

The report claimed it was “a very sustainable location for development”

because of its accessibility and location close to schools, hospitals and sports facilities.

It also claimed the golf course was under-used and that players could move to North Oxford and Hinksey Heights golf clubs.

But Colin Whittle, president of Oxford Golf Club and a former manager at the course, said it was taking more visitors than ever before.

He added: “It is a crazy proposal and I would certainly challenge some of the things this report is saying.”