Philip Crowe ("Reasons why the White Swan stands empty", Letters, April 25) claims that the council knows more than it is letting on about the future of the building. Yet this is simply not so.
As the source of the information on which the council spokesman's comments referred to were based (i.e. that the future of the site depends on the results of the Coppergate inquiry), I can explain.
Firstly, your readers will know of the effort the council has made over the last few years to tackle the issue of the White Swan Hotel.
Secondly, during the Evening Press's investigation into this site (part of its "eyesores" campaign) a year or two ago, I noted the difficulties that the council was nonetheless having in getting any improvements carried out to the building and encouraging its occupation.
During those efforts it became clear to us that the current owners seemed unlikely to do this until the outcome of the Coppergate inquiry, since if the scheme goes ahead this might give them the incentive to invest in the building, knowing that activity levels in the area would rise. Given this, it seems sensible to wait for the outcome of the Coppergate inquiry and this is why we are not actively pursuing the White Swan Hotel issue at present.
I can't answer for Land Securities, but there is no hidden agenda as far as I am concerned. Mr Crowe is reading more into a partial quotation than exists.
Cliff Carruthers,
Head of Development Control,
St Leonard's Place,
York.
Updated: 12:17 Saturday, April 26, 2003
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