Another step was taken towards mono-culture in Cowley Road, Oxford, when planning inspector David Stephenson gave permission for the former bed shop to be converted into a bar and restaurant.

His report is depressing because it gives a green light to applicants who plan to convert every sizeable building in Cowley Road into a night venue with alcohol.

After a brief visit to the area, Mr Stephenson concluded: "A new restaurant and bar, open in the evenings, could add to the vitality of the area." In the sense, presumably, that multi-storey car parks once added to the vitality of city centres and building societies to the variety of high streets.

There are 40-plus premises in the half mile between The Plain and Divinity Road selling alcohol, many open late at night.

The Zodiac has applied to open until 4am at weekends, setting a benchmark for the rest. Council officers recommend every application, despite the efforts of councillors to safeguard this community.

The soul of Cowley Road is being sold by the glass. We are woken by people fuddled by drink, arguing or shouting their way home. We step around their vomit and broken glass. At 5.10am one morning last week, a lorry collecting bottles from nearby night spots put an end to sleep.

The inspector says: "People choosing to live in town centres must anticipate noise levels above those one might expect in purely residential areas."

In his opinion, noise and disturbance would not be unreasonable "so long as this was not experienced during the hours when people could be expected to sleep". Since he will allow the bar to open until midnight and staff and rooftop ventilators to work until 1am, we are given a clear message about our bed times.

The inspector dismisses suggestions of a dispersal policy outside the new bar "as the appellant could not control behaviour on public land outside the premises".

How can people live by day if they cannot sleep by night?

We need genuine local consultation on the future of Cowley Road, not a town centre, but one of the densest areas of housing in the city. Can we have some local democracy, please, or do we have to continue to live under this colonial rule? Peter McIntyre, Lise Bosher, Crown Street, Oxford