THE contribution by Councillor Matthew Barber (‘Should £100m West Way shops redevelopment be given approval?’, February 5) shows how low local democracy has fallen. The period for comments on Doric’s proposals still has three weeks to run, but Cllr Barber has already made up his mind. So much for impartiality.

Mr Barber also stoops to accuse opponents of exaggerating things which they have not actually said. No-one has, to my knowledge, ever said that these proposals are “an outrageous destruction of community facilities”.

What I – and thousands of local residents – believe is that the proposals constitute a destruction of community. Perhaps he simply doesn’t know what that means.

 

Oxford Mail: Matthew Barber

Matthew Barber

It is not certain that the replacement “community facilities” are well-planned and properly thought-through. Will Mr Barber guarantee funds needed to fill a larger library – particularly in view of the fact that only a united outcry from the whole area saved the library from the axe not so long ago?

Perhaps, in future, Mr Barber could address the real issues being raised in hundreds of letters to the planning office, and explain why prosperity depends on a mammoth hypermarket and hundreds of student flats with no prospective tenants.

I do not wish to guess at his motives in forcing through these plans against the expressed wishes of the majority of residents. I trust that in the next elections, Vale voters (in Botley and outside), will bear in mind that most of the present councillors were prepared to act as the developers’ mouthpiece, not public representatives.

PATRICIA MCLOUGHLIN

Arthray Road

Oxford