Sir – In her heritage statement about Elms Parade (westwayconcern.files.

wordpress.com), Dr Kathryn Davies wrote “The shops at Elms Parade were built by Stephen Howse in 1937, who went to considerable trouble and expense to create a fashionable parade of shops he could be proud of . . . A measure of his pride in this is that he elected to live in one of the flats above the shops”.

She concludes: “The building is of considerable architectural and historic interest, particularly in the context of the history of 20th-century suburbs.”

Elms Parade has survived for over three quarters of a century.

If Doric plans to demolish it, the replacement should be an architectural and historic improvement on what we have, and last into the 22nd century. Otherwise they should leave well alone.

Frank Grenfell, Farmoor