HOW strange to see that air quality is officially on York council's agenda (April 14) as "AQAP" (air quality action plan).

We have a large, old fashioned air quality improvement scheme in our area. It has been here many years, is decorative, appeals to many and is of no cost to the rate payers.

It is called trees.

They have been given a new title - Woodland Management - and lots of time and public money has been spent on devising a new modern scheme which includes chopping down the large old trees and replacing them with tiny ones.

The tree protection officer thinks it is okay that for the next 30 years the air quality in Clifton will be worse because in the "scheme" of things it will look nicer.

As the new, expensive and restrictive council plans include water buses this means more pollution, noise and environmental damage to the river banks near to the soon-to-be-destroyed air-improving woodland.

Does AQAP really stand for "All quite arrogant politicians" or am I just "A quarrelsome aged person" or could it mean aqua pla(i)n in the next floods?

Mrs M Barker,

Ousecliffe Gardens,

York.

Updated: 11:13 Friday, April 16, 2004