Sir – With reference to Julie Edgington's letter (Gazette, October 30) in which she suggests that vast swathes of land were being offered as a “gift” to the parish of Brize Norton, this is not so.

It has been offered on terms of a ‘lease-back’ to the parish.

Some of the land in question is on a flood plain. Also, the field to the north of Carterton Road would not be attractive to developers as this land is encapsulated within the built-up areas of Carterton Road, bounded by Manor Road, Chapel Hill and Burford Road, the remaining area being closed off by the large Ministry of Defence medical facility and warehouses.

Therefore this land would, if built on, be an incursion into Brize Norton village and not open countryside, so it would be of no interest to a developer.

So to conclude, the land on offer by definition does not conform to it being a buffer.

It would merely allow the merging of Carterton town with Brize Norton village.

With the MoD’s recent noise assessment figures, now in the public domain, being far in excess to what is acceptable for human toleration, I find it hard to believe that West Oxfordshire District Council’s policy of making West Oxfordshire a better place to live and the Government’s housing policy, quote: “Our aim is to provide quality of life in attractive garden city-type developments, where people would want to live” totally the reverse of these aspirations that they have documented.

I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Jean Butcher, Manor Road, Brize Norton