STUART Wilson's letter (November 19) was well-argued.

Unless the Castle area campaign group is successful, bureaucratic bumbledom, masquerading under "town planning", will triumph over plain and simple common sense which is not an unusual occurrence for City of York Council.

Some of the illogical recommendations by the planning officers, approved by the planning committee, can only be described as inane.

The fact that the council taxpayer will have to foot the bill for the services of an expensive barrister to support the council in the public inquiry into the Coppergate II scheme once again highlights another example of the council's inexcusable misuse of public funds.

Little wonder that York's council tax increases way beyond the rate of inflation year after year.

John Tierney,

Grayshon Driv

Updated: 10:23 Tuesday, November 27, 2001