Last week, we reported fears that Oxford was in danger of turning into a bland 'clone town' dominated by chain stores.

Today, Oxford City Council appears to be doing its best to accelerate that trend by imposing huge rent increases on tenants of some of its properties.

Some small businesses say they will not survive a 50 per cent rise.

Oxford has not fared as badly as many other towns where, according to the survey by the New Economics Foundation, high streets are full of chain stores, charity shops, estate agents and building societies.

Despite all the pressures, many independent and traditional businesses have managed to keep going in Oxford.

Cornmarket Street and Queen Street may be dominated by the 'big names', but you can still find plenty of choice in High Street and the side streets.

The council says it has an obligation to look after the interests of the council taxpayer and get the best return on its assets.

But such a rigid policy surely has to be tempered by the effect huge increases in rent will cause. There must be a balance.

We need to keep Oxford vibrant, and different from other towns and cities.