Oxford University continues to be utterly high-handed and disingenuous in its statements about the Port Meadow blocks fiasco. First of all, it is not their place at all to ‘rule out’ reducing the height of the buildings. Any decision belongs to the city council.
Second, to argue that ‘because it would cost too much’ is irrelevant. Oxford’s heritage comes before the university’s financial interest.
The university built these terrible buildings when they should not have, as the EIA now proves by describing the ‘substantial adverse impact’ done. There is no way planning permission would have been given if this EIA had properly been done in the first place.
The university has brought this on itself. It’s not too much to expect them to spend a tiny fraction of their £3 billion raised, putting their damage to the Port Meadow right. They spare no expense on their prestige buildings.
Finally, the university’s continued assertion about the public benefit of the 312 units is completely disingenuous.
Their original planning permission allowed them 240 units, in acceptable three-storey blocks.
The damage described in the EIA is down to their greed in putting on an extra two storeys, for the sake of extra units. And to take one floor off costs them just 38 rooms. Thirty-eight rooms is not worth the permanent damage to Port Meadow.
Only option three, to take one floor off, is acceptable.
- Joanna Dennison Church Lane Old Marston Oxford
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