Sir - I write in protest against the proposed 'eco-town' at Weston-on-the- Green.
First and foremost, it is a breach of the Green Belt, which is the only defence against the gradual concreting over of the English countryside, loved, valued, and fought for, over many generations.
Second, it should be quite obvious that neither the local road network nor the nearby M40/A34 junction can bear the inevitable additional traffic that would result.
The proposed tramway to the Oxford-Bicester railway is one of the most ridiculous proposals I have ever encountered. Adding an extra local stop is the last thing this service needs, as anyone who understood the economics of rail operation would know.
It would undercut the presently successful development of usage, which depends on a fast commuting and shopping service between Oxford and Bicester. Any attempt to close the existing station at Islip would be met with bitter opposition. (I speak as founder of the Oxford-Bicester Rail Action Group.) No one would use the tramway because of the delay incurred by making the connection. Build housing where people want to live - in villages and towns, where real community and resources already exist, and could grow naturally. Instead of creating this hideous nightmare, build ten extra houses in each village in Oxfordshire, and help rescue starving village post offices, shops, and schools, that already exist.
Dr Ian East, Islip
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