I WAS recently in conversation with an associate who, for many years, has contributed to the vision and development of Bicester and surrounding villages.

He suggested to me that Bicester Village had put the town of Bicester firmly on the map. My own take was that Bicester had been established on the worldwide map many decades before the concept of Bicester Village.

This was thanks to the United States Air Force nuclear bomber base, some five miles north-west of the town, and indeed a nervous twitch of a finger at that time might have seen Bicester wiped off all maps forever. So it is somewhat ironic that the American-owned Bicester Village (Vallie Retail) should seem to have such a grip on all things Bicester and even more of a hold over the local council. In fact, the council have stressed the high esteem in which they hold the Village via their website.

I am sure most of the townspeople acknowledge the brilliant business concept and the employment the Village has provided for Bicester, but the traffic chaos has affected the majority of people at one time or another. I also believe it is a myth that the visitor to the Village will be curious enough, in any substantial numbers, to venture into Bicester itself. I am sure their own neighbourhoods would have a collection of charity shops, hairdressers and estate agents to keep them occupied. The Bicester Masterplan talks of the future vision of the town.

A clue to the direction this vision will be steered is in the fact that, within the document, Bicester Village is mentioned some 20 times and more, while Sheep Street and the Market Square, the heart of Bicester, only command a paltry seven mentions between the pair. All these objectives for the planned changes to the town will need to be financed. This will come by way of stakeholders and business. They, of course, should have a say and co-exist within the community, but should not be allowed to dictate or influence others regarding the future of Bicester.

ROGER WISE, The Glebe, Culham