Sir – I was delighted to read your article regarding the “student rooms” on the front page (July 28), bringing it to the attention of all the Oxford citizens who read the paper — and hopefully to the council members who seem blind to the facts.

For several years, indeed, since it was agreed by the council to develop the Oxford Polytechnic site into Oxford Brookes University, the residents of this area have been aware of the accommodation-creep which accompanied this development.

It feels as though this pleasant residential area is now a student campus, joined to the other student campus in the city. It was a bad decision, with no thought to its future expansion, encouraged by the Government of the day.

It is appalling in the current difficulties for citizens trying to find housing, that the council seems to be falling over backwards to allow development for student accommodation, when starter houses and flats are desperately needed.

Added to this, of course, is the steady development of the NHS in Headington with all the demands which that makes on the resident population.

I appreciate that Oxford Brookes University is a “good thing”, as is the NHS, but consideration for the needs and well-being of the citizens of Oxford seems to be being neglected especially at the present time.

M Chambers (Miss), Oxford