Some readers will greet this week’s story about the redevelopment of the Westgate with knowing smiles.

John Lewis, transformed city centres and new bus routes, we have read them before, with so many false dawns, forgotten masterplans and abandoned schemes.

But with the signing of the development agreement between the city council and Westgate Alliance, the city can be confident, as never before, that this time it will go ahead.

Just looking at the financial muscle of the companies involved — Crown Estate manages a property portfolio of £8bn — and the enthusiasm of John Lewis to come to Oxford, suggest we can now move on to the designs.

So let’s breathe a sigh of relief — leaving issues about height, parking and bus routes for the future.