Sir – If Paul Hornby (Letters, June 4) had examined the context of Lord Segal’s remarks in the Lords in 1965 condemning Oxford town planning, he would find that Lord Segal’s criticism, which I discussed with him after his speech, was prompted by the newly erected, intrusive, multi-storey Hartwells Garage at the Seacourt development, since given a facelift as an office block.

This was beyond the city boundary and had nothing to do with the city council’s planners. The area is now the responsibility of the Vale of White Horse District Council which recently posed another threat with the ill-advised scheme, originally encouraged by its planners, for a huge development at Botley and the demolition of Elms Parade.

The moral I would draw is that what is needed is a coherent plan for where homes, jobs and shops should go in Oxford and the surrounding region. This can then be scrutinised at a public inquiry at which objectors can put their case.

The Government has made matters worse by abolishing the South-East Plan, which replaced the County Structure Plan, but putting nothing in its stead.

Transport remains the responsibility of the county council. The placing of homes, shops and jobs depends on the piecemeal revision of the plans of five district councils with conflicting views.

They have been put under pressure by a study, instigated by central government, saying thousands more homes are needed. The irony is that the head of the government responsible for this muddle, which is unlikely to produce the best results, sits for an Oxfordshire constituency.

Mark Barrington-Ward
Oxford