SOUTH Park is one of the most treasured green spaces in our city.

For the enjoyment of all residents, it is protected in perpetuity by a covenant which stops anyone, for any reason, artificially developing it.

FULL STORY: Oxford Brookes students call for lights to be put in Oxford South Park

The result is a glorious haven from the hustle and bustle of the city where, in just a few minutes, you can escape the modern world in serenity.

Should we let a group of students, who may only live in our city for a matter of years, take that away?

There's certainly a strong argument against artificial lighting.

The trouble is, if we accept that argument, we are implicitly saying we are happy for there to be areas of our city where huge numbers of people – hundreds, if not thousands – simply do not feel safe.

That doesn't sit well either.

Although councillor Tom Hayes is obviously right that there are detours, do we really want to tell people 'don't walk through South Park at night because it's not safe but we don't want to spoil the nice view'?

Surely there is an aesthetically-pleasing compromise somewhere in the middle of all this?