The spanking new Marriotts Walk shopping centre in Witney, which opens tomorrow, has shot up almost as quietly as it has quickly.

Construction work on the £50m project only started in January last year, but on the eve of its opening the buzz in the town was palpable.

In the face of a continuing recession, it has proved to be an antidote to the gloom that hangs over the rest of the county.

While stores close in Abingdon and Wantage and the much-trumpeted Westgate redevelopment in Oxford stutters and stalls, west Oxfordshire has suddenly become one of the most attractive shopping venues.

Marriotts Walk has the draw of a huge digital cinema, a Marks and Spencer and Debenhams and hundreds of FREE parking spaces.

Compare that to Oxford and the choice is clear.

With its exorbitant parking charges and dated 1970s shopping centre, the city is an increasingly unattractive venue for those looking for a ‘destination’ shopping’ town.

Marriotts Walk is everything Oxford is not and has put the city’s attempts to market itself as a 21st century shopping venue to shame.

We hope this acts as a spur to the city and county councils to crack on with renewed vigour in Oxford when the economy eventually recovers.