SO ONCE more the people of Botley have been sold down the river by the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Why on earth has the Vale relinquished all control over the development, leaving the parish council to negotiate with the big-time developers? The phrase ‘David v Goliath’ springs to mind.

When this redevelopment was first mooted, we were told that the community hall and library would be replaced, along with the provision of a new supermarket. We now understand that it is going to be a multi-million redevelopment with a cinema (which nobody asked for) and may involve the demolition of a perfectly good block of flats.

The main thing that makes me very suspicious about the whole redevelopment is that big business is only interested in one thing – profits for their shareholders. The needs of the local community will come a very poor second.

This area of Botley is already blighted with blocks and blocks of flats situated on land where once perfectly good family houses stood, so we should not be surprised that the Vale has washed its hands of us and is no longer interested in what happens to this once very pleasant area of Botley.

B.E. LANE (Mrs), Westminster Way, Botley, Oxford