I HAVE have much sympathy with New Marston residents who are concerned about the proposed rebuild of the former Friar pub as a Tesco Express.

The area already has sufficient convenience shopping. The Marston/Oxford Road junction is busy and is already a road safety hazard. But the letter by some residents (Oxford Mail, February 17) does no one any favours by being wrong on almost every point.

I was chairman of the city council committee that refused Tesco’s applications to develop at the Friar on two separate occasions. The grounds for refusal were: loss of a pub; future road safety, highways, parking and servicing problems; loss of amenity to adjoining houses; and loss of trees.

Tesco appealed against the second refusal and demanded a public inquiry. Mary Clarkson and I appeared as councillors to defend our refusal of the plan. We spoke and were cross-examined by Tesco’s barrister in defending the city council’s case, but the Planning Inspector allowed the appeal and gave Tesco permission to build, largely on the basis of national planning guidance that says retail competition is a good thing.

Full public consultation took place on both of Tesco’s plans. Members of the public spoke at the Public Inquiry. Mary Clarkson and I have frequently discussed the matter on doorsteps in Marston. Mary has put out several newsletters to all Marston households over the past couple of years.

There was no vote of confidence taken against local councillors at the public meeting on January 27. For the letter to imply that local councillors colluded with Tesco in some way is completely wrong.

Also to be clear about another misrepresentation in the letter, Tesco was given permission by the Planning Inspector to build within a three year time slot (as is usual practice), not permission to build in 2014/15.

ROY DARKE City Councillor for Headington Hill and Northway Edgeway Road Oxford