Sir – I am concerned that both Reg Little and your correspondent Harry St John (report and letter, October 1) seem to believe that planning decisions are party political issues.
If any party had agreed to a party line on the Oxford Brookes University planning application, they would have disqualified themselves from participating in the decision.
The law is very clear that councillors participate in the consideration of planning applications as individuals, and that they must not have expressed any opinion in advance of the discussion.
The special council meeting to consider the application was called at very short notice and it is not surprising that a number of councillors were, for various reasons, unable to attend.
The important point is that a group of councillors (from a number of political parties) ensured that such an important application was considered by the council rather than only by a committee.
Cllr Clark Brundin North Ward
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