Sir – Oxford had one of the loveliest and liveliest covered markets in England. Now it is rather chilling to walk into the Market from the Golden Cross, past the three large shops that have been left empty. The first entrance off the High sports another empty shop.
What was special about our 18th-century market was the varied and local character of the shops. There was a covenant aimed at retaining this character but councillor Colin Cook seemed oblivious to this when he decided to go for the applicant, a national chain of cheap tourist goods but offering the highest rent, to replace Palms Delicatessen at the heart of the market.
I discovered from a question I put to Colin at a council meeting that there had, in fact, been 30 applicants, most of them local and in character with the market.
Nuala Young, Oxford
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