In the recent Scottish referendum, one of the problems given for wanting to leave the UK was their remoteness from Westminster but, being close to London creates its own problems, as outlined in your feature ‘How London drives up our house prices,’ Friday, September 26.

One has to wonder if those who commute were housed in or close to London it would free up the housing needed by those who work in and around Oxford.

The government is constantly urging more houses to be built but we know that quite a number of these new builds will be bought or rented by commuters. Local councils have little ability to address the housing shortages because of limited funds and restraints on what they can build. Even so, it seems that no matter how much is built, the demand keeps increasing, to the detriment of our countryside and small towns and villages.

The commuters streaming in and out of London by road and rail create more problems, with overcrowded trains and traffic congestion affecting those that wish to travel locally; then there is the pollution, damage to the environment and the road surfaces.

Today’s letters

The problem that London creates is not restricted to Oxford but affects an area around London of at least 70 miles. Something which cannot be properly addressed by local councils alone and needs central government to do something – I would have said urgently. Firstly, if there is clearly a need for more housing in or near London, then some effort should be made to get firms to relocate into places that need more jobs, perhaps by financial means.

Has the government done all it can to move its departments out of the capital?

Billions are spent on transport in London, such as Crossrail to make travel across the city easier, and shortly, no doubt, HS2 to get people into London quicker from the north. On the other hand, help for those businesses located along the congested A34 seem to be forgotten.

Derrick Holt

Fortnam Close

Headington

Oxford

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.