Waitrose have recently consulted with local residents about their plan to open a food store on Botley Road, at the old MFI/Halfords site.

See their info here: http://www.waitrosebotleyroad.co.uk/

I like Waitrose for a lot of reasons; their food is good, community mindedness is at the forefront of their concerns, they’re green, and they have a good employee-ownership business model. (Part of John Lewis.)

I especially want them to open a store on Botley Road.

I hope they do, and I hope they stay enough ahead of the planning and construction game to contribute to the downfall of Doric’s plans to demolish West Way and Elm’s Parade to build another food store.