Dominating brother (From The Oxford Times)

Dominating brother

6:50am Thursday 9th July 2009

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Sir – You report that Oxford Brookes University believe they have ‘met the residents halfway’ in reducing their 25-metre high building to 22 metres. By any rudimentary mathematics, halfway would be a reduction of 12.5 metres.

In all seriousness, the original plans were so outrageously dominating of residential properties (around 25 metres away from the proposed building) and the wider London Road area, that Brookes had no option but to alter them.

Amongst those objecting were a petition of over 1,000 residents, more than 80 letters of objection including several local resident groups, Oxford Civic Society and Oxford Preservation Trust.

Whilst I understand the need for Brookes to modernise their campus, this building is simply too big and too near its neighbours.

In the face of this local feeling, to reduce this massive building by a mere 3.1m is nothing more than a token gesture.

I would urge Brookes to withdraw this application rather than tinker with it, and then replace it with something that shows some respect for the local community, of which Brookes should be a part of as an equal partner, rather than as a dominating older brother.

Dr Ingrid Granne, Oxford

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