Shorter Notices
Towards a Plan for Oxford City. By Laurence Dale. (Faber. 6s.)
AT first reading the central proposal of this book will probably strike the Oxonian as utter blasphemy. Even on second reading it may well appear that the alternative courses of action to that proposed by Mr. Dale are neither so effective nor disagreeable as he chooses to find them. In order to relieve the traffic congestion at Carfax, and the vibration which " is slowly shaking University College to bits," he advocates a road, or mall, along the bottom of the meadows crossing the Cherwell, and leading to the Mel Road. He holds that the traffic would be scarcely audible from the Broad Walk, and that " the nail of one's little finger held out at arm's length would obscure two private cars." (But who wants to take a walk maintaining this odd posture?) He thinks that the only feasible alternative to his mall is to kneel down and widen
Holywell. But it is difficult to see why a road built south of the river should be too far away if one skirting the meadows is near enough. Indeed, Mr. Chaundy, of Christchurch, maintains that "he has lived long enough in East' Oxford to recognise that the bulk of our traffic is. local, and could not be much diminished by this fanciful project." It seems a pity that Oxford• cannot be more effectively by-passed, though presumably the Town Council would oppose this on grounds of trade. Another suggestion of the author's is the development of St. Clements as a shopping centre, and St. Ebbis for housing. There is apparently some support for his mall on the City Council already ; friends and opponents of the scheme would therefore do well to read this book and get busy.
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