PLANS for a 10,000 strong pro-life rally in Witney have been scuppered by Witney Town Council. The council said The Leys did not have the facilities to support the number of people expected and it would ruin the turf for sports groups.

The idea of an anti-abortion rally being held in the town may disgust some, but we think, in principle, it should be allowed to go ahead. There may be disagreement about the pro-life group and its message, but freedom of speech trumps that.

However, practically speaking, the town council has made the right decision.

Most people seem to agree that Witney is not the right place to hold such a large-scale meeting. It is still a small market town, after all.

In other news, it was fascinating to learn of the impressive amount of work being put into preparations for the RAF Lyneham move. The base will close in September and service personnel and their families, some 4,000 people in total, will move to Carterton and the surrounding area. There may be some teething problems and we do not expect the transition to be seamless, but it is undoubtedly fantastic news for the town.