I READ the report (November 30) relating to the proposed development of eight dwellings, to form sheltered accommodation adjacent to the CS Lewis Nature Reserve. I believe that Mr Beecher is under a misapprehension as to the popularity of the reserve.

The reserve is an area that I frequent almost daily and is visited by many people throughout the year, both young and old. It is also a must for overseas visitors, who not only come to see ‘The Kilns’ where CS Lewis lived but also visit the reserve, an area thought to have inspired Lewis and Tolkien to write their books.

I walked through the reserve recently with an American visitor, a professor at an American Ivy League university who had travelled up from Southampton just to see the house and the reserve. He was enthralled by the area and remarked on its beauty.

The reserve is still a place of beauty, peace and solitude but also of life; various local schools visit the area to pond dip and carry out studies.

I hope that with the CS Lewis Foundation and wildlife Trust BBOWT (Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust) being aware of the unwanted development, the issue will soon be a thing of the past.

I am sure that Mr Beecher a long-time resident will appreciate the over-development that Risinghurst has experienced over the years and the effect that it has had on the residents.

BARRY SYMONDS, Ringwood Road, Risinghurst, Oxford