I WAS delighted to hear of plans to convert Morrell House into a specialist care home for those with mental heath problems (July 8). Perhaps the first attendees could be those councillors responsible for ruining our city with their parking policies.

They care neither for residents nor businesses, only their blinkered view that York is a city that pre-dates motor vehicles and, therefore, should be made free of them.

I have lived in the city centre for more than 25 years and have now had enough. I am leaving the town I love for the simple reason that I need a car for my job and I am not prepared to pay to park it 24 hours a day.

The council refused to allow any residents parking in Castlegate saying it wasn't a residential street. I wonder when it last counted how many flats there are here and, if it isn't residential, would they miss our council tax?

We must blame ourselves because we keep re-electing these fools; putting them in positions of power where they seem to be unaccountable to the electorate and uncaring towards the needs of those who live in the city.

Instead, they focus all their efforts into making life more miserable for motorists.

Steve Ibbotson,

Castlegate, York.

...I COMMUTE daily to work in York and have done so for many years. I park in your car parks and use your restaurants and hotels to entertain my international guests.

I may not spend quite as much as I used to but this has nothing to do with the cost of your car parks - more to do with a lack of time.

However, reading the Evening Press these days one could be forgiven for thinking York was a ghost city not worth visiting. Tourism in many parts of the country has fallen because of international events, the weakness of the dollar and terrorism.

Britain is now one of the most expensive countries in which to holiday.

Yet despite all this, if my experience is anything to go by, there are times when it is difficult to book a hotel room.

Many people, myself included, would give their pension to live in such a safe and beautiful city.

I believe you are doing the citizens of York, and the wider area, a great disservice by perpetuating such a negative attitude and are in grave danger of deterring potential investors in the city.

Paul A King,

The Spinney,

Harrogate.

...TWO weeks ago my daughter was singing at Fibbers and I went along to see her perform.

Very good she was too.

At 7.30pm I parked in Carmelite Street near the BT Telephone Exchange and had to pay £2.80 for the one and a half hours to 9.30pm, but that would then cover me until 8am the following day.

No wonder the streets and car parks are living up to York's ghostly reputation.

To make matters worse, when I returned to my car at 10.30pm my window had been smashed and my car broken into. The police were there quickly and I was given an incident number. I was asked to stay in the following day so fingerprints could be taken.

To add insult to injury to the whole situation (I am self-employed) the scenes of crime unit did not arrive the next day as promised so I wasted five hours waiting for them.

I will not be returning to park on an evening in York for a long time. More lost trade.

Nigel Collinson,

Sandy Lane,

Stockton-on-the-Forest,

York.

Updated: 11:19 Tuesday, July 13, 2004