Sir – On the whole few would argue that the planning process has failed Oxford in the last 50 years in that it has not managed to preserve, enhance or create a better city than that which existed before.

One has become used to poor planning decisions but the proposal to site a major new housing development at Barton using the ring road as a residential front street, beggars belief. New housing and a major highway are not compatible neighbours.

As Mark Barrington-Ward has succinctly pointed out, it is a deeply flawed concept and one wonders if the originators of this proposal live in the real world.

If a planning or architecture student came forward with such an idea it would receive a D minus. One of the first concepts I was taught at university is that the two can only exist together if the road is decked over and that is a very expensive option.

The question of whether the Barton site ought to be used at all needs to be examined again. It has only been allocated for development because it lies within the city boundary. It is an attractive site and helps to delineate the city from the surrounding countryside.

Any new housing for the city ought to be allocated to the south-east of the city where a purpose-built development could be sited which would enhance the character of the area. The development at Poundbury in Dorchester serves as an outstanding success although it has received criticism from architects, usually those who have not visited the site. It could well be replicated to good effect in Oxford.

Paul Hornby, Oxford