THE retail report was commissioned by City of York Council, the owners of the site.

It seems the council has not told Roger Tym and Partners some other basic facts.

For example, the council is committed to reducing traffic coming in and out of the city. It is committed to improving air quality.

There are other massive sites in the city that could easily accommodate a "huge department store" if one were indeed needed, such as York Central behind the railway station and Hungate.

We have an excellent array of huge stores around York in the out-of-town developments at Monks Cross, Clifton Moor and the Fulford designer centre.

No, York does not need a huge department store next to Clifford's Tower. The developers need that!

What shopping centre in the world could boast a 12th century Norman Tower as a centrepiece, a river flowing directly through it and stunning buildings including the law courts and Castle Museum close by?

We must have seen dozens of so called "reports" about the Castle Area over the past ten years. Stop wasting money, York council, and wake up to the fact that residents and visitors need open spaces to relax.

As for shopping, they do not want huge department stores but a mixed variety of smaller specialist shops and restaurants.

Stuart Wilson,

Vesper Drive,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 09:37 Thursday, October 14, 2004