ON May 20 you devoted two pages to the demolition of the Westgate car park, something, which is only the start of the work to be done here, which will include a new shopping centre.

Originally this area provided homes for those who worked in Oxford but, after the demolition of their houses, these people had to be moved to the suburbs.

A great deal of historic Oxford was destroyed in the demolition which, at the time, some described as an act of vandalism.

What happened then cannot be reversed, but common sense says that the whole area should have been returned to housing.

The original Westgate shopping centre turned out to be a white elephant and I can’t see any reason why the new one should be any different.

I would have thought that there were, already, enough shops in Oxford to satisfy the demands of those living in the centre, so who is going to use this new place?

At its very worse it could run the risk of drawing in people from Oxford’s outskirts, something, which is the very last thing that Oxford needs.

I say could, because I can’t see anyone in this day and age, when we have internet shopping, wanting to struggle along tortuous, often gridlocked roads, and then pay a parking fee.

Oxford should do what it does best, and that is teaching and tourism, and I can’t imagine tourists being interested in a shopping centre which is likely to be filled with multinationals, something they can visit at home.

DERRICK HOLT
Fortnam Close
Headington
Oxford