I FEAR Paul Acton is missing the point (Letters, February 23). The Lib Dems have always been against building on open space at Clifford's Tower. They voted in favour of a shopping centre on the site.

The reason they ask the question "do residents want to pay an extra two per cent a year?" is two-fold.

Firstly. they cannot add up - their sums simply do not make sense - but neither does their budget.

Secondly, they want people to think it would cost them dearly, because they believe this would give their shopping centre plans some credibility.

If they had vision they would realise that such a park would be an asset. An ideal place to stage events such as the Viking battle reconstruction which attracted thousands to York.

There is no more discussion about cutting down the oak tree in the Eye Of York if you have the whole park area to use as well.

A better question would be why didn't they ask "do you want to pay double for residents parking?" or "do you want us to start charging for parking in the evenings?" or even "do you want your council tax to go up by several times the rate of inflation?"

They only ask questions where the expected answer suits their policies. They call this public consultation, but it is spin.

Dave Berkeley,

Tower Place, York.

...IF I were asked the same question I would give a similar reply to Paul Acton.

However, let us examine the truth behind the Lib Dem leaflet. As chair of Castle Green Trust I issued a statement about the same leaflet in which I stated that asking a simple question such as "would you be prepared to pay a two per cent rise, year in, year out, in council tax to turn Castle area car park into a grassy knoll?" was disingenuous, if not down right misleading.

The question over the future of the car park space needs more thought and analysis. I do not know who in the Lib Dem party thought that by putting it into their Focus newsletter, they would be doing "community consultation", but they were wrong.

As Steve Galloway has already said, almost 80 per cent of responses to the question have been "No". So if you want to get a certain answer to a question, frame it in negative way.

Paul Acton should consider whether there is spare car parking capacity around the city and what would be the long-term benefit of a beautiful landscaped area around Clifford's Tower, similar to that at Museum Gardens.

Is it possible to create such a space without it costing the city lost revenue? I believe it is.

I also believe that, as an historic city, we have a duty to protect and enhance our heritage rather than putting up with the mediocre car park there at present.

Gordon Campbell-Thomas

Chair, Castle Green Trust,

Constantine Avenue,

York.

...CITY of York Council has not agreed any plans, carried out any research or calculated any figures for a "grassy knoll" on this site. The Lib Dems have, in fact, pulled this two per cent council tax increase figure out of thin air to make people think building on the site would be preferable.

Right now there are no plans for the castle area, grass or otherwise.

The car park is already targeted by "yobs and vagrants", as are most of the car parks in York at night.

However, a carefully managed public park would put in place measures to try and limit this as much as possible.

In addition, if the park were run by a charitable trust it would not cost the taxpayer a single penny.

Stella-Anne Jackson,

Keble Park North,

Bishopthorpe, York.

Updated: 10:02 Thursday, February 26, 2004