I’m sure everyone in Botley would welcome some improvements and modest redevelopment, provided it retained its core function as a centre for the local community.

The proposal from Doric Properties, however, is on a completely different scale. It is a huge development more suited to the centre of a large city. For it to be successful commercially it would rely on drawing huge numbers of people and traffic in from a wide area and meeting the needs of the local residents would be only a low priority.

It is also, however, a very risky strategy. With a new Waitrose likely to be joining Aldi in the area, there is already excellent provision of food retailers close by.

In any event the nature of food retailing is undergoing a revolution as more people move to online shopping and use smaller stores for top-up purchases.

Even Tesco and Sainsbury’s have recognised that the model of large superstores has had its day.

There is, therefore, a real risk that if built, it could become a huge white elephant and a liability for decades to come. But an even worse scenario is a very real risk. What if the new development were to get approved, existing buildings demolished and then the developer fails to raise the finance to continue?

Perhaps councillors should pay a visit to Bradford where a huge city centre site has been sitting vacant for six years as the development stalled after the site was cleared.

This is bad enough in a large city but in a small centre like Botley it would be catastrophic.

It is time for the Vale of White Horse District Council to move away from its misguided partnership with Doric and instead work with the local community to deliver the improvements Botley needs.

Noel Newson Sunningwell Road Sunningwell Abingdon