I have been very interested to read the coverage your newspaper has given to the planning application at Heyford Park, as one of my clients is the North Oxfordshire Consortium.

Over the last 12 years, Heyford Park has offered a wide range of competitively priced accommodation and has enabled a broad spectrum of companies to grow and provide opportunities to hundreds of local people.

The number of jobs created demonstrates the success of the base.

The type of accommodation at Heyford Park, such as the hardened aircraft hangars, is simply not available anywhere else in Cherwell.

Commercial property of this type is very rare and provides inexpensive accommodation for a variety of uses.

The sensitive use of these buildings for commercial purposes is a common sense option for local business and an excellent way to maintain these important structures, which could fall into disrepair if left vacant.

The current economic downturn is of concern and this, together with the change in empty rate relief, is causing many developers to be cautious about new speculative development.

It seems, therefore, prudent to maximise the use of existing buildings.

I have worked in the North Oxfordshire area since 1980 as a commercial lettings agent and Heyford Park is an ideal home for local businesses and provides a realistic alternative to more expensive commercial space in Banbury and Bicester.

In my opinion, Cherwell District Council should give serious thought to encouraging new business at Heyford Park to provide a platform for new speculative accommodation to ensure the local economy is buoyant.

JOHN GREAVES Lambert Smith Hampton Midland House West Way Botley Oxford