Banbury Cross
The great question for Banbury today is how far it is to expand. Under the South-East Study it might have gone up to 80,000, from its existing 20,000. That plan is now in abeyance until the autumn. It is known that Mr. George Brown wants to push expansion north. Mr. Crossman, on the other hand, as Housing Minister, probably wants to get on with expansion in the South-East to help in his rehousing of Londoners. So Ban- bury waits. Meantime, it has been invited to pre- pare a feasibility study to expand to 40,000 with an option to go further if Mr. Brown agrees. This feasibility study is based on the proposal to take London overspill. Mr. Bob Mellish, Parliamen- tary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, is of course deeply concerned because he has a special responsibility for London's housing problem.
Mr. Woodrow Wyatt, MP, owns and runs the local paper, the Banbury Guardian, and it has recently published the information that Mr. Mellish is billed to come to Banbury during the course of the forthcoming local elections in support of the Labour candidate.
Bob Mellish might like to think again. It is an old and excellent convention that Ministers who may have to exercise (or advise on the exercise of) quasi-judicial functions should stay aloof from related party squabbles. The Banbury Labour Party can campaign on its own.
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