Sir — It was pure theatre watching a special meeting of the full city council last Thursday voting to reject the Brookes redevelopment proposals and then scrabbling around trying to find a reason for the rejection. This extraordinary decision flew in the face of the city’s strategic development committee, which had previously approved the scheme. It also ignored the strong professional advice of planning officers that there were no grounds for refusal.

Confusion reigned in the chamber as councillors threw in all kinds of spurious suggestions that might do the trick, but in the end it was left to the dejected planning officers to go away and concoct a reason for refusal.

So Brookes is left with a planning decision, but with no reason, which it will inevitably appeal and win. The council is strapped for cash and will either have to cut essential services or raise our council taxes to pay for the substantial costs it stands to lose. So why such a bizarre decision? Apparently, it upset a neighbouring five privileged and well-connected households on Headington Hill who thought the view from their back gardens might change. The offending building being the new five-storey library which they have described as a ‘skyscraper’. I dare say they should get out more.

Nonetheless, congratulations to them for mounting an impressive campaign to oppose the redevelopment It seems our councillors have chosen to sacrifice the future of our city and bowed to the influential few of Headington Hill. In so doing, they have ignored the future interests of the city in terms of the contribution of Brookes to jobs, the local economy and its sustainability as world class institution.

Luigi Scalera Headington