A small glossy leaflet has just appeared in our letterbox, entitled The Future of the Vale. This is a summary from the Vale of White Horse District Council of its draft Local Plan 2031.

As residents of Botley, we wholeheartedly support the West Way Community Concern in their endeavours to retain in all that’s good about Botley’s shopping facilities. Hence we were encouraged when we noted in the Vale’s 2031 plan that the planners continue to designate Botley a local service centre.

But our encouraged spirits were short-lived. Scarcely had we read that leaflet when on a routine visit to the West Way shopping precinct we discovered an animated pictorial display in the window of a former restaurant provided by Doric Properties, depicting their elaborate plans for the “regeneration” of Botley District Centre.

Aside from the fact that some of the wording in this display of Doric’s is insulting to the existing small traders at West Way, we are discouraged by Doric’s repeated insistence on referring to Botley as a district centre, in an attempt to justify its disproportionate development plans for this small area. In view of the Vale’s Local Plan 2031, we fail to understand how Doric have got this far, and would welcome confirmation from the Vale that Doric’s assertion that Botley is a district centre worthy of massive enlargement is totally contrary to the Vale’s own policy.

Today’s letters

Ruth Cameron Conifer Close Botley