HAVING passed through the half-empty former Newgate Market, I can see why it has been renamed Shambles Market.

What have all the millions been spent on? Complete repaving (not needed), small stalls with bigger canopies. It seems that everything this council does is a shambles (think Lendal Bridge closure).

They appear to enjoy throwing money away on unnecessary projects, but no doubt it gives them an excuse to put up stallholders’ rents. At this rate it seems set to kill it off altogether and all we will be left with are the tacky, over-priced continental and Christmas markets.

York used to be a vibrant, bustling centre, but it is fast becoming a shopping wasteland, with stores going out of town and small independent traders being priced out of existence, unless one counts the proliferation of cafés, sandwich shops, take-aways and mini-supermarkets.

It is to be hoped that they don’t put off the monthly farmers’ market, and if the market dies how long will the cheese man, fishmonger and wonderful butcher be able to hang on?

Some of us still like to buy fresh produce, not pre-packed supermarket stuff, and it would be a tragedy to lose them.

Mrs P Witlea, De Grey Place, Bishopthorpe, York.