THE Castle Area Campaign must congratulate your team on an excellent presentation of the Vision of York (March 27).

We applaud the desire of City of York Council to create the process which looks at the "big picture" rather than fiddling with the minutiae of planning policy.

Such a "local strategic partnership" is essential if we are to avoid more planning fiascos such as Coppergate II, building on Oaken Grove playing fields, the flats on Clifton tennis courts and replacing Frog Hall with a burger bar, and so on.

However, we believe the body set up to examine the future of York should be inclusive rather than elitist, as is now proposed.

David Atkinson states that an inclusive panel would never achieve anything, but the Castle Area Campaign Group totally disagrees. The possibility of inaction is no excuse for riding roughshod over democracy or public opinion.

Indeed, Yorkshire people may very well say: "If in doubt, do nowt." Sometimes, doing nothing may be the better option.

We cannot accept David Atkinson's elitist remedy. York people should be asked who they would like to see on this panel which will make recommendations about York's destiny.

Perhaps the Evening Press could field suggestions for membership of the panel? The Castle Area Campaign could begin by recommending York Civic Trust, and its chairman Darrell Buttery, but we would reiterate that the panel must represent the voices of the grass roots opinion in York.

Stuart Wilson,

Castle Area Campaign Group,

Vesper Drive,

Acomb, York.

...WE want a city that continues to be an attractive place to live and work. As for us, if we needed a vision for the future then we would focus on improved leisure facilities.

Picture this: a city surrounded by wide open spaces, easily accessible to all, connecting city with suburbs and York's rural communities.

We're suggesting an 'integrated' network of country parks where families and friends can kick a football around, throw a frisbee, have barbecues, fly kites, walk all day, cycle for miles, roller blade, ride horses, skateboard, swim and sail.

We've got the space for it, we don't have to think of our city as just the historic core. We can even show you an example in Peterborough's Ferry Meadows.

Just think of it, only minutes away from home, a real alternative to the A64, the ring road and the shopping malls when you really want to get away from it all.

John and Pat North,

Knapton Close,

Strensall, York.

...YOUR correspondent Alec Comb is wrong when he claims that the criteria for determining planning applications is no longer the merits of a proposal but a risk of costs at appeal (March 27).

The fact is that only around one third of all appeals are successful; and of these cases only a tiny minority result in costs being awarded.

Consequently, in those rare instances where planning officers need to warn committee members of a risk of costs, there is invariably an overwhelming case for granting permission, because costs are only awarded in exceptional circumstances where refusal of planning permission is blatantly unreasonable.

Matthew Laverack,

Chartered Architect,

Laverack Associates,

Lord Mayor's Walk, York.

Updated: 08:55 Saturday, April 06, 2002