Post in Westgate development

Feb 21 10:42 UTC

Hi all,

This might be of interest! A more comprehensive document detailing all of the
problems with the expansion plan is under construction - I'll post a link here
when it's completed.

Danny

*****Public Meeting Against Westgate Expansion - Thursday 28th February,
Oxford Town Hall, 7pm*****

Dear Friend,

You may have noticed (or heard about) the trees being cut down in Oxford
City Centre. This is "preliminary work" in preparation for a monstrous new
shopping centre, three times the size of the current Westgate complex.

If the plan goes ahead, it will mean more traffic and pollution, the
demolition of an entire street of sheltered homes, the loss of dozens more
trees and an increased risk of flooding. Local traders would suffer, and
the building's eco-unfriendly design would be a climate change disaster.
The plans have been hustled through the planning process with the minimum
of public consultation, despite local anger and fourteen official
objections. This scheme might benefit the developers, a few big chain
stores and the City Council's short-term budgets - but it would be bad
news for the rest of us.

Plenty of people would be happy to see the Westgate knocked down, but it
should be replaced with something better, not something worse. Any
development in our city centre should be eco-friendly, sensitive to the
needs of local people, and should support the long-term health of Oxford's
local economy not the short-term profits of big corporations.

We don't have to take this lying down! The plans can still be stopped, and
Oxford residents are getting together to do just that - but we need your
help.

We need as many people as possible to come along to the PUBLIC MEETING on
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28TH at 7PM in the Town Hall to show their opposition to
the Westgate Partnership's city-trashing plans. We'll have speakers to
fill us in on what's wrong with the proposed expansion, then we'll get
down to planning how to stop it and discussing ideas for the kind of city
centre we REALLY want.

For more information, see the attached flyer, as well as
www.westgatewatch.wordpress.com or email
.

Thanks for reading - and please forward this on to as many people as
possible!

See you on the 28th,

Oxford Against Westgate Expansion