Sir – With reference to Christopher Lawson’s letter of November 25 proposing “a plot of perhaps rather under-utilised wooded land” south of the University Boathouses as a potential site for the proposed “Health Valley Science Park”.

This area, known for hundreds of years as Aston’s Eyot, is actually an extremely well utilised area by many local people for quiet recreation, birdwatching, fishing, dog walking, etc. It is abundant in wildlife, forms an essential part of the local wildlife river corridor, and is in any case Green Belt and designated floodplain.

A group of interested local residents called The Friends of Aston’s Eyot (www.friendsofastonseyot.org.uk) have recently started managing the site, which belongs to Christ Church, with the aim of optimising its potential as a haven for wildlife and as a wild place within the city for local people to enjoy recreationally.

I would venture that maintaining the site as an accessible wild area is much more beneficial to the long-term wellbeing of local residents and wildlife than any proposed development could ever be, and on this basis I am fundamentally opposed to any development of the site, as I am sure its many regular visitors would also be.

Gregory Webster, Oxford