Sir – Residents, students, and workers in Oxford need to be aware that the controversial proposal to massively commercially expand the Westgate shopping centre is back, after its planning permission lapsed this month, because all Capital Shopping has done in the past three years is demolish the attractive Victorian pub that used to brighten up Oxpens Road.

The proposal is to build a new 1,337-space multi-storey car park, which is just a handful of spaces more than at present; however the plan is to use all the parking spaces all the time, rather than the current use of two thirds of the spaces with lower turnover.

This would be very bad news for residents of Botley and Abingdon Roads, and Thames St/St Thomas’s area, all of which already suffer unacceptably high levels of traffic congestion and related toxic air pollution.

The proposal also includes the eviction and demolition of Abbey Place housing, underground development (which means displacing ground water), and the cutting down of about 20 healthy semi-mature trees in the city centre.

With a little creative thinking this space could be attractively developed to instead provide social housing, public space, a community centre, and small business units, rather like The Lanes in Brighton.

The Westgate land is public land, held in trust by Oxford City Council, who is both the land-owner and the planning authority. I urge people to respond to the application by the closing date of March 25. We now have the opportunity to influence our local politicians to oppose the current car-based commercial proposal and think instead of what would make most sense locally.

Sushila Dhall, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Oxford East, Oxford