Sir – With all the fuss surrounding the university flats overlooking Port Meadow one thing is almost certain — the university will not lower the height of the almost-completed buildings.
Vigorous tree planting is promised to screen the buildings from the meadow but this will take decades to have any, even limited, effect. However, a more effective solution could be to cover the western elevations of the flats with creepers.
Depending on the species chosen these could cover the elevations in a very short time indeed.
One needs only to think of the Admiralty building in Horse Guards Parade, London, to see how an ugly building can be turned into a visual asset.
Of course, building surveyors loath such planting but the additional maintenance would be worth the cost in environmental terms. It would even be possible to establish hydroponic cultivation, the university certainly has the expertise in-house to facilitate this.
Let’s stop arguing as to who is to blame for the erroneous consent and get on with finding a solution to mask the flats and enhance the view.
A. Hornby, Oxford
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