THE Secretary of State for the Environment's ruling enforcing the erection of a controversial line of pylons in the county reminds one of the total influence of that government department.
It was that same influence which convinced me that designated public amenity land near my home was totally safeguarded after it had been the subject of a drawn-out period of controversy.
The wording of the Secretary of State ruling is still imprinted on my brain - that the land is "the equivalent of village green or common land" - and that is the crucial documentation which the City of York Council's planning department failed to retrieve from their archives. I refer them to 'Blunder costs York folk open land', from the Evening Press, December 3.
Lilian Boulton,
Beans Way,
Stockton Lane,
York.
...I WAS pleased to see Roy Templeman has taken full responsibility for the blunder which has deprived York residents of yet more of our diminishing provision of open space ('Blunder costs York folk open land'.
Some may feel councillors should accept a share of the blame, but that would fly in the face of present political trends.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that failure to consult relevant archive documents has resulted in loss of open space.
I fear it may not be the last.
Such cases of planner's amnesia are of the utmost value to developers who tend to regard any green space as "ripe for development".
Our planners have welcomed a proposal to develop an area of Green Belt near the village of Knapton.
A previous attempt to develop the land was thwarted by Harrogate Council, and definitely quashed by the inquiry inspector who supported the council on every point.
Documentation was available, but collective amnesia struck York planners just in time to enable the status of this Green Belt land to be shown on the 1998 Local Plan map as "Green Belt within settlement limits" (ie. up for grabs).
The lack of accompanying text ensured no inconvenient objections were lodged.
But incredulous residents with enough time, a basic understanding of map-reading and a powerful magnifying glass may easily verify our planners' masterly sleight-of-hand.
Comedy or cynicism, dereliction or premeditation?
Residents of York must judge for themselves.
William Dixon Smith,
Welland Rise,
York.
Updated: 10:45 Thursday, December 13, 2001
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article