Sir - I write regarding your item on Warneford Meadow and the planning officer, Murray Hancock's report to the strategic planning committee recommending that the sensitivity of the Meadow should be balanced against the acute needs' of Oxford's two universities and hospitals for accommodation.

Perhaps he needs to acquaint himself a little better with the brown field sites in his city. A large area of houses is boarded up along the Slade, waiting redevelopment or refurbishment - ideally placed for hospital staff. If Oxford Brookes is so desperate for accommodation for its students why hasn't it finished developing the land it owns on the Marston Road which has lain unused for several years?

Laura Hollitzer, Oxford