WHAT is the biggest blot on the landscape – a satellite television dish or a block of flats?

Cherwell District Council’s new found commitment to conserve more of Old Kidlington is set to collide with pressure from developers for yet more flats.

The council is currently showcasing its conservation credentials and publicising a major new appraisal of historic buildings in the village.

The outcome of this highly commendable exercise will be an expansion of conservation areas, which are defined as areas of “special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which is desirable to preserve or enhance”. Owners of buildings in these areas are bound by strict rules governing the appearance of their properties.

These include the banning of satellite dishes to preserve the historic integrity of their settings.

However, at the same time as reinforcing these controls, the council is also deciding whether to approve a planning application for the erection of a block of flats that would directly overlook two of the oldest listed buildings in the High Street Conservation Area.

The block would have a mock Victorian façade and would be the most prominent residential building in the High Street.

Perhaps I could remind the district council that many villagers are proud of the authentic period buildings that survive – and hope the conservation effort is not mocked by the very same council that is championing it.

JEFF LYES, High Street, Kidlington