WITH the formal announcement of the joint city council/Joseph Rowntree Foundation 'Disasterthorpe' planning committee meeting on January 31 it appears that, free of charge, York residents will be able to enjoy an extension to the pantomime season.

At 4.30pm on this date the council planning committee is going to sit in judgement on a scheme that it has already passed in all but name and attempt to deceive the public into believing that it is holding a fair meeting.

The reality is that so financially tied is the city council with the developer that the decision is so biased and fundamentally flawed it will almost certainly result in a full public inquiry.

Although the result of this meeting is a formality it is still worth many residents turning up to show the councillors the strength of feeling, even though it appears that the public are to be "gagged" from speaking, lest the poor councillors hear too many home truths.

I will be most interested in watching the performance of the Osbaldwick councillor J Morley, who will no doubt be worked like a ventriloquist's dummy by council leader Galloway and will then make a token vote against the scheme, when the most productive thing he could have done for his constituents was to have forsaken his vote and spoken out for them years ago.

M Warters,

Yew Tree Mews,

Osbaldwick Village, York.

Updated: 11:48 Friday, January 28, 2005