SO, City Of York councillors want the age of voting lowered to 16? (Call to lower voting age, September 10). Wouldn't it be a good idea to introduce a scheme to teach these 16-year-olds how to behave before we let them loose on the ballot box?

Before letters of protest start pouring in, I'm not saying all 16-year-olds should be tarred with the same brush.

However, the actions of the youths who cause trouble for the stall holders in Newgate Market, and the other cases of vandalism that we all too often hear about, want sorting out first.

In the same evening's paper, magistrates gave a teenager community service for putting a bus driver through an ordeal where a knife was involved. This person was already on a supervision order, with a nightly curfew, at the time of the attack so what on earth were the magistrates thinking of?

Let's forget the decent law-abiding citizens of our fair city, shall we? And instead let's bow down to the louts who make decent people's lives a misery.

A word of advice for the magistrates: brush off your cob-webs and stick your heads into the real world before it is too late.

Colin Henson,

Moorcroft Road,

Woodthorpe, York

Good riddance

NOW that the result of the public enquiry about Coppergate II has been made public, I hope the plans to create this monstrosity will be dead and that the planners will not be designing "something smaller, and in keeping with this site", as can happen when planners get carried away.

I could not believe the Labour party and now the Lib-Dem council could give the desecration of this historic site their blessing.

Their enthusiasm appals me. It is almost as bad as a previous city council which wanted to destroy the city walls; only the intervention of William Etty and others prevented this.

I wish the council were as enthusiastic in providing York with a bus station, which is long overdue.

Councillors please listen to those who elected you.

Godfrey Machen,

Lindsey Avenue,

Poppleton Road, York.

...THERE is a middle road between the would-be developers of Coppergate and their opponents. I hope the developers will interpret the rejection of their plan as a need to make some significant modifications instead of the derisory, cosmetic changes offered.

Developers have for too long been able to impose their schemes on communities. In future they must listen to the objections and avoid the narrow focus on the interest of their firm.

It is not enough to go through motions of listening. Such 'consultations' are a democratic sham.

On Thursday, the revised proposals for Germany Beck will be revealed to the public. This might give us a measure of developers' willingness to accommodate the recommendations of those who have to live with the consequences of their grand projects.

I hope would-be developers and our democratic representatives have taken note of this example of people power.

Chas Jones,

Main Ave, York.

...AS an ex York resident, I want to say how pleased I am to hear of the outcome of the Coppergate Inquiry. It is heartening that the Government can put a stop to the greedy developers when enough people stand up to be counted.

I hope everyone in York is celebrating this big win. It's a great victory for common sense.

However, City of York Council should hang its head in shame at having put York's heritage on the line in the way it did. The people responsible should be fired from their jobs to recoup some of the considerable expense this has brought to York's ordinary citizens and council tax payers.

Eve Morris,

Greenway

Bishops Lydeard,

Taunton, Somerset.

...I WOULD like to say a huge big thank you to all those people who have supported the Castle Area Campaign group over the past two and a half years in our efforts to stop Coppergate II.

Without all those people who sent letters to the council and Secretary of State; those who came to the public inquiry to give their views; the people who joined us on marches and demonstrations; those who kept up our morale and enthusiasm with letters and donations; and the 5,000-plus people who signed our petition, Land Securities would now be building next to Clifford's Tower.

So, once again, thank you to all those who helped us to tell everyone that "Our city is not for sale".

S Jackson,

Castle Area Campaign,

Main Street,

Bishopthorpe, York.

Updated: 11:54 Tuesday, September 16, 2003