WE welcome the decision by the Valuation Office Agency that the local traders should be given a reduction of business rates during the building works on the St Clement’s car park. This is a more realistic assessment than that of Councillor Cook who claimed that the Sobell book shop closure was not linked to the reduction of car parking spaces at St Clement’s.

Oxford Green councillors have been asking for rate relief for the affected traders and submitted a question on this to full council in April.

The Green Party recently surveyed the St Clement’s traders and found that an overwhelming majority, 82 per cent, said that their business had been negatively affected by the closure. One business had been hoping that, after the inevitable dip in trade, the new buildings would provide new customers.

This was now taking too long and they were seriously considering moving to another location. We also asked if the traders had received any help from the council – again, almost all said no.

A common complaint was that there are no spaces left in the car park even at 8am for employees. Traders claim that contractors are taking all the few spaces left and that the car park is completely closed at weekends. One trader has applied for a business permit to park in Cowley Road and had no reply for six weeks.

Many of the traders we spoke to had suggestions to deal with the parking problem during construction but clearly felt that the city council are unwilling to listen.

COUNCILLOR ELISE BENJAMIN, Magdalen Road; DR HAZEL DAWE, Bulan Road, Oxford Green Party, Oxford