PLANS for another large out-of-town shopping development in Oxford have provoked anger among local people.

They say if the latest planning application - for an 895sq m non-food store next to Toys R Us in Botley Road - goes ahead, traffic on the congested Botley Road will get even worse, making people's lives more of a misery, and possibly putting lives at risk.

The application comes just months after planning permission was granted for a similar warehouse-type store in nearby Lamarsh Road.

That proposal was turned down by Oxford City Council - to the relief of residents - but the council's decision was overturned by a Government planning inspector. John Walker, the city council's director of environmental services, said the inspector's decision was the most disappointing he had seen in 28 years.

Joy Taylor, of Duke Street, off Botley Road, said all the objections to the Lamarsh Road plans applied to the new development as well.

"The basic reasons for not building that one are universal all along the Botley Road," she said.

"No matter where they build you're going to get the same problems, the same increase in traffic making the environment less pleasant for residents and more dangerous for young children."

The western end of Botley Road is lined with warehouse-style stores, from Do It All to Habitat, and Mrs Taylor blames them for much of the notorious traffic congestion in Botley Road. She said: "Certainly at weekends, in the evenings, at Christmas - any time people are going to go and buy - they are the major contributing factor. I don't think it's just people driving into Oxford although they do contribute as well."

The application, with the which states that the new store sharing an existing 435-space car park with Toys R Us and Wickes, will not be considered by the city council's planning committee until April 29 or June 8.

Murray Hancock, principal planning officer for the city council, said: "We lost the case at Lamarsh Road and we'll have to bear that carefully in mind but we haven't come to a firm view on it yet. It is only about one-third of the size of the Toys R Us store, or of that sort of magnitude."

Years ago the city council tried to prevent DIY chain MFI from building a warehouse-type store on Botley Road, and their decision was thrown out that time as well.

Maureen Christian, chairman of the planning committee, said she feared officers would recommend approving the application - because of the precedent set by the inspector's Lamarsh Road decision. But she said the development would be resisted all the way.

"I have a feeling that the planning committee will not accept it. It seems to me to be giving in all the time to pressure to approve the kind of thing we're not in favour of, and Government advice is to resist out of town shopping use at present," she added.

"Usually we take note of what the inspector decides but I shall argue that we disagree with putting even more pressure on this area."

Earlier this year there was alarm at the possibility that Asda might try to open a supermarket on the Lamarsh Road site, even though the inspector's decision specified non-food use. City planners have not heard more about that suggestion.

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