I was interested to read in the Oxford Mail of the proposed shake-up of planning committees by the leader of Oxford City Council, Bob Price.

Apparently the opposition is none too pleased about this.

The idea is to abolish the local area committees’ power to decide on planning issues and to centralise planning.

Let us take the example of the East Area Parliament.

A lot of residents in East Oxford have been complaining about the shenanigans taking place in the committee meetings every month regarding planning issues.

It was proposed at one of these meetings that the city council-owned Tesco car park in Cowley Road be transformed into an eco-office block.

This proposal was put forward by the Green councillors who make up the East Area Parliament.

The plans were put up in the Town Hall for this zero-carbon development, which would deprive disabled shoppers of a much-needed facility to park their cars when shopping.

Still on the same eco-house theme, there was a proposal to demolish the East Oxford Community Centre (a beautiful Victorian building) and to erect an eco-house development in its place.

The east area committee (or Parliament, as it grandly likes to call itself) is entirely made up of one political party – Greens.

Therefore there is not much impartiality in its planning decisions.

Since the price of property in Oxford is so high, clearly a lot of money would have been made if these developments had taken place. However, the residents of East Oxford would have been deprived of their supermarket car park and East Oxford Community Centre.

I am sure a lot of readers will be shocked to know that planning decisions have been made by local councillors in their own wards, some of whom have not got an inkling about planning law.

Clearly there is a potential for corruption and mistakes.

Thankfully the Labour controlled city council got wind of this potential conflict of interest and is trying to nip it in the bud by putting planning in a more impartial context, and taking away the planning power from the local committees.

SUSAN THOMAS, Magdalen Road, Oxford