YESTERDAY we said that the debate around free school meals must not be allowed to descend into pantomime with ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’ – but for the infamous West Way development at Botley that ship has long ago sailed.

The chorus of residents who live in the shadow of this mammoth development are well used to crying ‘oh no it isn’t’ when councillors or the developers boast about how it will be good for local people or small businesses.

Now it feels as if they should be yelling ‘it’s behind you’, as the Botley Development Company asks where the problem is with its latest plan to add 30 more flats to an already-controversial new block in the development.

The group of residents who have now written an open letter opposing the extra apartments have also very much invoked Punch and Judy politics, citing how it was the previous Tory leadership at Vale of White Horse District Council who originally helped bring the whole scheme to life, and challenging the new Lib Dem leaders who took power last year to live up to their credentials and actually ‘stand up for the people of Botley’.

Sadly, that idea may itself be a fool's errand.

When it comes to new homes, local councils' hands are completely tied by national housing policy, as we have seen so often before.

South Oxfordshire District Council was recently stopped by housing minister Robert Jenrick from even drawing up its own Local Plan for housing because the new Lib Dem and Green leaders there had indicated they wanted fewer new homes.

If the planning committee at the Vale did now try to 'stand up for the people of Botley' by rejecting to the proposed extra flats, it may well end up just wasting taxpayers' money.

As we have seen time and again, the company could appeal against the decision, citing the 'need for new homes', and most likely would win.

That's the way to do it...