I HAVE been following the public debate on the impending implementation of rising bollards in the Straylands and Woodlands Groves area.

Having read the original article (November 24), one could be led to believe City of York Council is tirelessly fighting "rat runs" wherever it finds them, and is installing "intelligent bollards".

Alas, nothing could be further from the truth.

In the outline planning application for the controversial Derwenthorpe development we read: "The sole exception is the Osbaldwick Lane/Tang Hall Lane junction. This junction already forms part of a well-established rat-run with existing capacity problems."

So what did the same council officers who are responsible for the fantastic rising bollards scheme in Straylands and Woodlands Groves, cook up in this case? The application gives the answer: "It is felt that improvements to this junction may increase its rat-running potential and, therefore, increase traffic flows. It is proposed to keep the junction as it is and use it as a throttle."

Hang on, "use it as a throttle"? But doesn't this mean you can open and close the throttle? Oh, I understand, "use it as a throttle" that is stuck open!

The glaring omission in any of the official documentation about this "rat-run" is the mention of an "intelligent bollard" or similar measures to address this. This is all the more worrying because this area will see 600 new dwellings during the next six to seven years.

Requests from the parish council and our MP, John Greenway, to meet with the council's traffic planners and discuss these legitimate concerns have been declined.

Oliver Starzynski,

Murton Way, York.

... and true rats

MY definition of a "rat run" is the bit of pavement used by cyclists to avoid stopping at traffic lights.

Mike Usherwood,

Mendip Close,

Hutington, York.

Updated: 11:03 Friday, December 10, 2004