WHILE current local headlines understandably focus on North Oxford’s developments and bottlenecks, the future of West Oxford is quietly being decided in the heart of Botley.

Last year the Vale District Council’s economic development unit approved a plan for a vast £100m town centre in what is a relatively self-contained suburban community.

This was rejected unanimously by the council’s own planning committee. Economically it was short-sighted, in terms of traffic impacts close to insane, and we were proud to represent the overwhelming local opposition.

Our recent survey, with 1,400 completed returns, shows local people want development and improvement of Botley’s West Way centre.

The council has made an agreement with Mace, the developer who bought out the previous lot, that they can propose a more modest scheme. This is now being planned.

Recently Mace held a public consultation meeting to which the council administration failed to send a representative.

But our MP, Nicola Blackwood, was there. Her new 9,000 majority did not remove her concern and we were impressed that she stayed throughout an entire Saturday morning.

She told Mace to work with, not around, the local people and to make their new proposal in good faith rather than the ‘bad faith’ that marked the presentation of the previous scheme.

To summarise her argument, the suburbs of Oxford are populated by intelligent citizens with considerable expertise and experience who want economically sustainable improvement. Developers should work with us, not treat us as a problem or an impediment.

The Vale is currently consulting on the planning framework for West Way. Mace will then develop detailed plans.

We hope Mace and the Vale take Nicola’s message to heart and propose improvements that will create a viable, local suburban centre that diminishes rather than intensifies Oxford’s traffic problems and does Botley proud. If they do, we look forward to working with them.

LORNA BERRETT, CHRIS CHURCH, CAROLINE POTTER
Co-Chairs, West Way Community Concern