In reply to Mr and Mrs Villiers's letter (Oxford Mail, October 16, Halt City's Expansion), I would like to speak up for the silent majority who would very much like to see the city grow.

Oxford is supposed to be a 'world city', in a geographically strategic location with great road and rail links; ideal to promote commerce and residential development, not only to make it a tourist destination but also a growing, dynamic place to be.

At present, there is a massive demand for housing, but because of people like the Villiers living in their 'bubble ideal' of keeping Oxford as a medieval museum, preserved for rich tourists and so-called privileged, insulated academics, many people who want to live and work in the city are unable to because of the inflated house prices as a result of planning restrictions caused by the Green Belt.

There are large areas of land around the city that can hardly be declared aesthetically pleasing and these areas, if built on for housing and industry, would definitely not impair the view of the city's 'dreaming spires' but would bring vitality and dynamism to our stagnant city.

It would also prevent large- scale commuting from satellite towns like Witney and Bicester.

Get real and wake up to the fact that the damage being done is in the country towns where large-scale housing is taking place as a result of Oxford's lack of expansion.

If the Villiers want to take up the cudgels of protecting the countryside, why don't they look at places like Witney and Didcot?

Leave Oxford to grow naturally and let's make it a new, exciting place to live as well as an old one. The present one is monotonous.

DAVID HOLDFORTH Pheasant Walk Oxford