IN A frantic attempt to 'sex up' its unpopular greenfield development, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation now wants to call New Osbaldwick by the name of Derwenthorpe ('New name for York's new homes scheme', February 12)

Different name maybe, but still the same old nonsense.

The facts remain: the foundation is proposing to destroy 50 acres of environmentally important green land against the wishes and best interests of the surrounding communities.

Quite happy to subject existing residents to increased flood risks, increased crime and a wholly unsustainable explosion of traffic on inadequate roads, the foundation continues to hide behind the sham of a consultation process, where meetings are likened to 'turkeys being lectured on the merits of Christmas'. City councillors should take note: not so much Derwenthorpe as Disasterthorpe in the making.

M Warters,

Yew Tree Mews,

Osbaldwick,

York.

...IT seems as if those in charge of the New Osbaldwick - now Derwenthorpe - plans are unable to empathise with the concerns of nearby residents.

It is rude and impolite of project director Ian Atkinson to refer to residents' concerns as misconceptions (February 10). Rather than insulting the intelligence of local residents, Mr Atkinson would do well to listen patiently to their concerns and produce some solutions.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of objections have been filed at the planning office.

Is Mr Atkinson seriously suggesting that all those residents are wrong and he, alone, is right?

Mr Atkinson says he needs to set out in detail what the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's proposals are, and suggests once he has done this all the objections will be satisfied.

The foundation has had several years to explain its scheme, what is he going to tell residents near the site they do not know already?

Many would like to work with Joseph Rowntree Foundation, but it seems it is determined not to let this happen.

The foundation gave a one-hour presentation before City of York Council's planning committee last month but this was held in private - the public were excluded.

A Wilson,

Temple Avenue Area Residents'

Association,

Grasmere Drive,

York.

...The views of the residents of the Osbaldwick association and Adrian Wilson were interesting and I sympathise with them.

They have a right to protect the interests of the local community and express their views and concerns by strongly challenging the development plans. Unfortunately they are labelled as "anti-development" by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Housing Trust who could, and should, give the representatives of the association more time at the planning meetings to voice their objections.

I am a resident in a JRHT complex and find we are never directly consulted on proposals and changes. They are introduced as a fait-accompli.

I hope all would-be developers will respect the wildflower meadows and our ancient grasslands, along with the rapidly-depleting precious reserves of plant and animal diversity.

Mrs E C Earle,

Dower Court, York.

Updated: 11:13 Wednesday, February 18, 2004