Sir, Cherwell District Council has taken a bold decision in awarding conservation status to the former Cold War air base at Upper Heyford.

There are many that wish to wipe the ugly memory of the Cold War from our memories and the landscape. Greenham Common has already been redeveloped, but Upper Heyford remains as a cathedral to bleak horror of the Cold War.

Its 53 hardened bunkers are a stark portrayal of the stockpiling of destruction by both the east and the west. This 'frightful eyesore' in the words of one district councillor will thankfully now remain as a permanent reminder of the terror that gripped the world and brought us to the edge of mankind's destruction.

Andy Boddington, Finmere