Sir – In recent times, Oxfordshire County Council has spent an enormous amount of taxpayers’ money trying desperately to prevent gridlock in and around Oxford.

At the same time, the local authorities have been submitting plans (or faced having plans forced on them) for thousands (millions?) more homes.

How (I’m giving them an escape route here) can they do this effectively without knowing what the population will be in five or 10 or even 15 years’ time? Barton Park, Witney, Bicester, Woodstock, Long Hanborough, Carterton, et al, all have planning applications to deal with.

What Oxfordshire County Council has done, and what it proposes to do, will be a wasted effort. The gridlock will continue. In terms of being able to plan your journey (howsoever you make it), be assured it will take longer than at present.

Stewart Mitchell
Yarnton