I AGREE with Mr Lewis that £1 million seems a small price to pay to help Thrall set up in the city, but in the same letter he questions the value of the Millennium Bridge (March 12).

Leaving aside the landscaping works, the bridge itself cost just over £2 million and more than half of this was paid by the Millennium Commission and local businesses. It is used by over 2,000 people every day and has become a landmark in the city.

It seems no coincidence that house prices have gone up in South Bank more than anywhere else in the city.

Perhaps Mr Lewis ought to campaign for a similar bridge in his area - the city centre bridges have become a traffic choked, polluted disgrace.

Paul Osborne,

Wilton Rise,

York.

Updated: 12:10 Saturday, March 16, 2002