Sir – You are to be congratulated on your excellent leading article (March 6) regarding the enormous traffic pressures that will follow on from all the proposed developments in and around Oxford in the next few years.


Our particular concerns are with the Doric application to redevelop the Botley shopping centre, which is very much opposed by so many of us over here and which will also have serious traffic implications for the totally inadequate A34 and local roads.


We do not wish to rehearse again the many objections which you have printed, but one matter exercises us considerably.


It has been impossible to find out exactly where Doric’s funding comes from and we fear very much that, in the event of the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) giving planning permission and Doric doing a total demolition of the shopping precinct (which is their preferred option) Botley could be left without any shops or businesses at all if Doric were to go into administration after the demolition and before any building were to start.


Financial problems do affect developers and a Jericho project of some years ago came off the rails because of the developer’s financial problems.


All of us in Botley want to see a thriving, locally-based shopping centre, with plenty of local businesses able to remain trading during the redevelopment. It is imperative that VWHDC refuse to allow a total demolition, otherwise where would people without cars do their shopping for everyday needs?


Doric talks about 70 per cent of the population shopping elsewhere, but that means that 30 per cent of us either do not drive or have mobility problems of some sort.


Aldi and, eventually, Waitrose will be a great help, but my decision is to do my weekly shop in Witney, using my bus pass on the S1 and enjoying shops which are friendly and easily accessible. I wouldn’t go into Oxford city, as very soon we are facing the prospect of the railway bridge being changed and having to go all the way round the ring road by bus to get to shops.


I would plead with Oxford City Council and VWHDC to put their differences aside and actually meet to thrash out the vast problems of access both to the city and to Botley, before it is too late.


Joy Crispin-Wilson and Robin Wilson, Botley