The Coppergate development may be architect Richard Akers' dream (Evening Press, November 24) but is likely to become York's nightmare.

He is able to go home to Surrey and leave it behind while we are going to have to live with it.

Mrs J Leeman,

Hesketh Bank,

Badger Hill,

York.

...THE first scheme badly neglected the circulation spaces and landscaping around Impressions, but the developers now seem to be listening and responding.

The good news for the eight to ten thousand people who depend on tourism for a living in York must be that Land Securities, one of the biggest developers in the United Kingdom, sees York as a going concern, with its heart the place to be!

Not surprisingly, a large group of my sixth form geography students visited the model, spoke to the protesters and the developers then came to the same view after considered reflection and debate.

Peter Warn,

Portland Street,

York.

...The scale of the proposed development does not follow by any means the original brief by the city council. It is too high and too big. Please think again!

Mrs M F Johnson,

Tower Place,

York.

...When I was in the Coppergate exhibition in St Sampson's Square everyone there, with one exception, was highly critical of the plans.

Though different people picked on different points of detail that they disliked, all were agreed that the buildings would come too close to Clifford's Tower and be too high.

The one exception was worrying. A man who seemed to be wearing a city council badge was loudly and enthusiastically praising the proposals. I hope the councillors will consider how far the officers who are supposed to be giving them impartial advice are in fact partisan.

Ernest Rudd,

South Parade,

York.

... Quite apart from the appalling design, the site is absolutely unnecessary and surplus to requirements. York already has plenty of empty shop units, so why add to the problem?

After it was fully recognised by all planners that Stonebow is a dreadful aberration that should never have been allowed to happen, I really thought that there would be improved aesthetic sensitivity. But it seems the planners are more concerned with putting up prestigious buildings for the moneyed few and are ignoring the historic structure of York, which is what still brings visitors.

Caroline Lewis,

The Good Food Shop,

Scarcroft Road,

York.

... The shopping and parking regime will ensure a high turnover rate of cars thus bringing even more traffic into the city. The scheme requires a new road junction at Fishergate/Piccadilly. This is not featured in the plans currently on display in York.

What will all this traffic do to pollution levels in Piccadilly and Fishergate? The application does not address these issues.

Andrew Ward,

Allerton Drive,

Nether Poppleton,

York.

... The massive multi-storey car park in Piccadilly and the increase in parking places plus vehicles servicing the centre will result in more pollution, more traffic jams and more accidents. This is not what York needs. I previously thought the council opposed increased traffic, which is the biggest threat to our health and quality of life.

Jim Semlyen,

Grange Street,

York.

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