I WAS delighted to read that Homebase is determined to stay put in its city centre store (October 18).

For many residents such as myself who don't have a car, it's an essential convenient source of bulky DIY goods in a city that has gradually lost its practical shops (apart from the wonderful Barnitts).

I have managed to transport many bulky items, including a couple of lengths of kitchen worktop, across town to Fishergate on my carrier bicyle and I'd have no convenient alternative if Homebase closed.

Cycling from B&Q with a bulky load along the busy Hull Road would be a daunting prospect.

Friends Of The Earth once defined mobility as having access to goods and services. York is fortunate in having large stores encircling the city walls along the Foss which increase the shopping mix available to local residents without cars. Let's hope that the council recognises this and strives to retain and enhance this diversity by rejecting developments such as that at Sainsbury's.

Edgar Newton,

Melbourne Street, York.

Updated: 10:15 Thursday, October 30, 2003