Sir – I was disappointed by your misinformed editorial regarding local objection to the West Way redevelopment proposal.

In a public consultation two years ago, Botley residents supported plans for redeveloping our dated but otherwise successful local shopping centre. If the tired 1960s buildings and semi-vacant office blocks were the only things up for redevelopment, then most people would enthusiastically ‘embrace change’. The current proposal, however, is a speculative and damaging land-grab.

This super-sized development would need to attract double the local population to be economically viable, increasing traffic in a notoriously gridlocked area.

The valued Elms Parade shops would be unnecessarily devoured by an 85,000 sq ft superstore. The ‘replacement’ age-restricted housing falls 15 homes short, with a further 20 homes including the vicarage destroyed and not replaced. The eight-storey student accommodation block would overshadow its two-storey neighbours, and neither university claims to want it.

None of these fundamental objections of scale are addressed in the amended plans. The more than 900 objectors to this scheme include our MP, experts in urban design, senior academics in planning and transport, and numerous local business owners. They have presented substantial evidence that this particular development is bad for Botley.

Doric/Mace have strong financial incentive for misrepresenting objectors as people who are simply scared of change. Let us hope that planning committee members of Vale District Council are not fooled by this rhetoric and give detailed consideration to the unprecedented level of well-researched objection.

Dr Caroline Potter, Co-chair, West Way Community Concern