I THINK it is a very bad idea to get rid of Oxford City Council’s area committee meetings just to save money.

At the meetings, people are allowed five minutes to ask the councillors about issues in their area which are important to them.

I get asked all the time, by the residents of Marston and Old Marston, if I will speak at the North-East area committee meetings on issues which are very important to them and about things they want getting done.

I understand that if they were to get rid of the meetings, it would save the city council £22,000 a year and that each councillor would get £1,500 to use in their area.

I would like to point out that the Second World War was fought against Germany for freedom of speech and democracy. But losing the area committee meetings would reduce freedom of speech and would go against democracy.

Surely, in the best interests of democracy, the important decisions affecting us all need to be made in an open way, rather than behind closed doors.

It is therefore essential that we retain our area committee meetings.

MICK HAINES, Croft Road, New Marston, Oxford