Sir – As a student in the mid 1990s I spent a wonderful three years living at Cotuit Hall and a further four years as a student assistant providing cover at weekend and during vacation periods.

The quiet location, surrounded by verdant trees is a rural idyll in the middle of a busy city. However, the neighbouring residents were far from friendly. From super-gluing parking notices on cars parked at the entrance to the hall, then blocking the whole road with cars for their own parties days later, to receiving noise complaints when no students were in residence (St Giles Fair or events at South Park), residents blamed all their concerns on the students.

It must be remembered that Cotuit Hall was the junior department of Headington School from 1913-1930, from the 1940s to 1955, it was the City of Oxford Children’s Home and from 1962, it was a hall of residence for Oxford Technical College.

During the 1990s, Cotuit House was used for staff training, the lecture theatre was let to community groups for landscape and art classes. During summer periods Cotuit Hall provided teaching rooms for language schools.

If the local residents want to preserve the character of Cotuit Hall, the local community would be better served if the misinformation, prejudices, paranoia, petty politics, student hatred and regret of past actions were dropped.

If students are not able to live in halls of residence, the only choice is to accommodate them in existing houses.

Instead efforts should be concentrated working to create a redevelopment of a more appropriate scale, with high environmental credentials and sound amelioration, to address what is a very poor design.

Neighbours should debate the impact on wildlife and the appearance of this important part of Oxford and its spacious and distinctive character.

Mark Longworth, Ambrosden