DOES it really matter who moves into York’s vacant commercial spaces? Pubs, shops, cafés or banks – at least the city will look alive, showing that we are open for business.

Surely not much is worse than seeing these empty, neglected properties. If nothing scares the visitors away, empty shop windows will.

That dreary image will be difficult to wipe from their memories, and of course it does not exactly boost the morale of us locals either.

On a similar subject, I never thought I would welcome the sight of all the scaffolding, building work going on at present – to me a positive sign in the right direction.

After the almost total lack of activities in that field not so long ago they are positive signs of hope for the future, whether they are housing developments or shopping centres – anything is surely better than nothing?

Barbara Hudson, Badger Hill, York.