EVERYONE would be delighted if York City president John Greenway arranged for the club to stay at Bootham Crescent for another year (July 10).

My main concern is that with the existing deadline for leaving Bootham Crescent only a year away, the club will run out of time in terms of planning permission to make the necessary changes to meet Football League requirements.

Because Huntington Stadium is owned by the council many people believe planning permission is a formality. The opposite is true; the planning process takes longer.

Longstanding Government rules rightly demand that such applications are looked at by Government Office. If it considers there are serious objections they can decide to examine an application in detail.

If this happens the council cannot influence how long this will take - it could be several months.

The council is not able to change planning rules or speed the process for the club beyond normal legal requirements. Similarly, like any other applicant, if the club wants to avoid challenge it must draw up its plans so the concerns of anyone affected by the development are considered.

As a lifelong football fan, I admire the work done by the present board. It would be tragic if an unrealistic view of the planning process negated all they have done.

Coun Keith Orrell,

Executive member for leisure & heritage,

Trent Avenue,

Huntington, York.

...WHY is City of York Council dragging its heels over the planning application for Persimmons to build homes on Bootham Crescent?

I understand about 1,800 people have objected to the plan. If so many people are against this scheme the council should be looking urgently at this application.

Instead it chooses to do nothing. If the council turns down the application then the debate about the running track at Huntington Stadium is irrelevant.

Stop the building of homes on a leisure facility then football can continue at Bootham Crescent. The stadium could be redeveloped using the grants which York City have available from the various sporting bodies and the athletes will remain at Huntington. A win-win situation for all but a greedy developer.

Coun Galloway should get his planning people on to this immediately, or is he waiting until it is too late and York City are homeless so he can bulldoze his broken promises through?

David Potter,

Lynden Way,

Acomb, York.

...THE Persimmon Homes website makes interesting reading: "We treat local communities with respect and will be sympathetic to their views and concerns..."

"We encourage consultation and dialogue with local communities and other stakeholder groups... to establish their interests and issues."

"We encourage regional businesses to support local fundraising and community initiatives..."

These statements are admirable - but the York-based company needs to prove this is more than hot-air from the marketing department.

Has Persimmon consulted York's sporting community to gauge the feelings about the loss of Bootham Crescent?

Does Persimmon believe demolition of Bootham Crescent is a good way to enhance community spirit?

If it encourages its regional businesses "to support local fundraising", would it consider helping the Friends Of Bootham Crescent rescue a community asset?

Or is Persimmon just driven by greed and shareholder pressure?

It should either dissolve its agreement with Bootham Crescent Holdings or revise its website to reflect its true goals.

Matthew Flint,

Alma Grove,

York.

Updated: 11:20 Wednesday, July 16, 2003