Sir – The article on page three of last week’s Herald clearly shows what we, in Wantage and Grove, have long known. The county council doesn’t consider that Wantage/Grove are part of the county of Oxfordshire.

In the article we are told that with Bicester having an additional 10,000 houses and South Oxfordshire, mainly Didcot, having up to 11,000 new houses, both will need eight new primary schools.

The article goes on to say that even more schools could be needed in Abingdon, Harwell Campus, Chipping Norton and Witney.

Wantage/Grove, with more than 5,000 more houses planned doesn’t even get a mention, despite the fact that already more than 1,000 new houses have been completed in Wantage and surrounding villages.

This is just a continuation of the neglect of Wantage/Grove shown by the county council, as previously shown with the planned transport infrastructure.

In the transport infrastructure plans, although Wantage/Grove is scheduled to have more than 5% of the planned total increase in housing, the transport infrastructure shows no plans for any infrastructure improvements in Wantage/Grove.

The county’s neglect of Wantage/Grove is just a continuation of The Vale’s neglect. The Vale’s attitude is clearly: “If there is money to spend, spend it in Abingdon, if there is something to be got rid of dump it on Wantage/Grove.”

This has been shown over many years, as an example I quote the leader of the Vale at a public meeting in Wantage three years ago talking seriously of plans to improve the sports centre and facilities in Wantage.

What have we had – more than 1,000 new houses, and nothing spent on any of the facilities.

May I suggest that both councils should get up-to-date maps that will show that Wantage/Grove is in Oxfordshire, and not still in Berkshire.

Francis G Sketch
Easterfield
Grove