IN reply to Mrs D Dawson's letter (May 21), I must put a few facts straight about the new site for St Barnabas School. I have lived on Leeman Road for part of my life and my family has always lived here. I have never seen the flooding she talks about reach across the proposed site to the school.

In 2000 the river was backing up through the drains and flooding the streets, and the flood water was pumped back into the river by the fire brigade.

I now live right on the river and have never been flooded since the council installed flood banks and pumps at strategic points in the area.

The new school is long overdue, the school we have is out of date and the residential area is growing at a dramatic rate which will bring more children to the area.

Facilities should be provided for the next generation and beyond. It would be nice for children to see daylight and not skylight and have freedom to move around. So, please, could we just get on and build the new school and settle back to reality?

Sylvia Keenan,

Salisbury Road,

York.

Updated: 10:20 Friday, May 28, 2004