YOUR correspondent Paul S Cordock obviously does not understand the enormous scale of the Barbican proposals (Letters, April 22).

The size of the development proposed goes far beyond that in Government advice to increase urban densities on brownfield land.

This is because the applicants not only wish to have a large number of flats, they are also intent on erecting a large hotel.

It is clearly over-development which would normally be resisted by the council; but as the council is in this case the property owner and stands to make a huge profit, the normal planning considerations do not seem to apply.

I can demonstrate the council's double standards. In 2002, I obtained planning permission for a two-and-a-half storey town house at 36 Barbican Road - but only after the planning authority made a big fuss about the ridge height and obliged us to reduce it by half a metre.

But now directly on the other side of the road it seems it is all right to erect five-storey flats which do not even have proper roofs and traditional ridges.

The whole thing stinks. Don't worry, Mr Cordock, I shall be bringing this matter to the attention of the planning inspectorate.

Matthew Laverack,

Laverack Associates Architects,

Lord Mayor's Walk,

York.

Updated: 11:49 Monday, April 26, 2004