With reference to Dave Merrett's letter (May 4) concerning his view that the council is a 'listening council', will he answer this straight question?

If the Northern Gateway site was open to public consultation, then why was an application to Europe for a loan secured on the preferred site, already applied for and agreed upon before any public or local consultation had gone ahead?

He claims that the council undertakes a substantial amount of consultation work, which is not in question. The point he misses is what decisions the council make when the results of all the meetings and polls are conducted.

He argues the council reflects these results as 'far as we reasonably can'. In other words to suit themselves.

Despite fears from environmentalists, residents, traffic impact studies and indeed anyone who uses the A19/A1237 junction daily, the council decided to go ahead with the Northern Gateway and add 1,000 more cars a day to what must be the busiest junction on the outer ring road.

John Halder,

Vernon Road,

Rawcliffe,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.