Sir – I have lived in Oxford all my life, the last 30 years at The Firs, which is in The Headington Hill Conservation Area and which was formerly the Dower House to Headington Hill Hall when the Morrell Brewing Family owned the estate.

Throughout my time here I have witnessed the steady expansion of Brookes but always there was consultation and consideration to the needs of their neighbours. What we have seen over the last few months is a deception on a grand scale where Brookes have gained a consensus in favour of their innocuous Master Plans with the devil in the detail not revealed.

Even as late as January 26, 2009, at a meeting of Oxford City Council’s strategic development control committee the subject of the 2007 Addendum to the Brookes Master Plan was discussed and had it not been for the chairman of The Headington Hill Residents’ Association no one at the meeting would have had any idea of the real scale of what Brookes actually intended.

This had been revealed in November 2008 when Brookes had their first public ‘consultation’ which while being again vague in terms of the exact measurements gave us our first feel for the sheer mass of buildings that Brookes wanted to erect.

From looking at the detail of the planning application Brookes have not deviated one iota from their initial plans regarding mass, height and position despite a number of further ‘consultations’ with us their immediate neighbours.

So is this all about what Brookes need? They have spent thousands and thousands of pounds on their drawings, sketches, three dimensional models, surveys and studies, so does that justify this horrendous building in a conservation area, towering over a community of 27 homes.

Do Brookes always get what they need or has Oxford City Council the guts and the vision to limit their expansion and impose the necessary constraints.

Colin Rosser, Headington