I read recently that the developers Doric are now crying foul and complaining of “bullying” by the people of Botley who object to their ridiculous plans.

It is we, the ordinary Botley folk, who have cause to say that we are being bullied by a developer who has no inkling about the social structure of our neighbourhood.

Oxford Mail:

The West Way shopping centre

In particular, there are many elderly and infirm people living in Field House who have endured at least 18 months of real anxiety about their future accommodation and face the real possibility of two moves in the next few years.

It is also insupportable that the Rectory could be scheduled for demolition and no replacement and that SS Peter and Paul’s sacred space could be overlooked by enormous buildings. We are not against development at all.

Today’s letters

I frequently do my shopping in Witney (much more pleasant than central Oxford) and I can honestly say that I would be perfectly happy with a development akin to the Marriotts Walk centre of a few years ago.

It has all the criteria that I would look for: there is a slight nod to the vernacular of the Cotswold fringes, it is of a human scale (all shops easily accessible at ground level), no building is higher than three storeys (not even the Cineworld) and there is a good mix of shops for all ages and needs.

If Doric had the good sense to come up with something akin to that, there would be no problem here. 

There is a growing impression here that all the delays and obfuscations we are experiencing (postponement of consultations, meetings scheduled in Wantage because the Botley folk are regarded as hostile, refusal to respond to Freedom of Information requests) actually show that both Doric and VWHDC are in a state of panic about this application.

I have heard that there is serious concern about the viability of the application at the highest level amongst the Tory councillors themselves. So I shall continue to “bully” the authorities into seeing sense on this matter.

Joy Crispin Wilson

Evelyn Close

Botley

Oxford

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