Julia Gasper’s letter implies that both Councillor Rowley and I have ignored local voters because the city council has “decided to allocate the old Headington United cricket field site for building new houses” and that the site on Barton Lane “has been handed to the Thomas Homes company for development.

Dr Gasper is mistaken and does not understand the facts.

The city council is not the owner of the former cricket ground. It cannot hand the site to a developer.

Simply, the council has issued a consultation document which lists sites within Oxford that might be subject to development.

The council provides a recommendation for possible use of each site. In doing this, the council provides an opinion about what would best fit the site should it be redeveloped.

The old cricket ground has been subject to planning applications in the past.

It is probable that it will be subject to planning applications in the future. The city council is spelling out what will not be accepted.

And any planning application will require permission in line with core policy.

VAN COULTER, Executive member for leisure Barton and Sandhills ward, Oxford City Council