HERE in Botley we are still awaiting online publication of Doric’s proposals for the West Way centre, so that we local residents can comment and submit our views. A frustrating time, as we’d been led to expect them before Christmas.

Recently, however, a crumb: responses from various Vale departments are beginning to be published online.

I was perturbed today to read the following, submitted by Ms Trudy Godfrey, the Vale’s shared economic development team leader: ‘From an economic development perspective, I believe that the development would be a good thing for the district in terms of clawing back retail and leisure spend that might otherwise be spent in Oxford City’. She also refers to Botley as a ‘district centre’.

All this implies a size, status and nature out of all proportion to Botley as it is and as it should remain.

Indeed, the Vale in its own Local Plan designates Botley as a local centre, not a district one. Hence I fail to understand how a Vale officer can talk in terms of the West Way centre as a district one, competing with Oxford city.

How wearying it is to have once again to state the obvious: here in Botley we want local provision for local needs, not to be used as economic fodder in outsiders’ grandiose schemes. Is anybody listening?

RUTH CAMERON Conifer Close Botley