It started off a black week for York environmentalist.

First central government helped City of York Council to get away with indefensible plans to move a thousands cars from an existing successful park and ride site at Clifton Moor to green belt land in York's important Ouse corridor.

Then, in what could become almost a carbon copy of "Gatewaygate," we learned that, notwithstanding public consultation now taking place, senior planning officers are already saying that they will not recommend refusal of the widely condemned Coppergate II scheme.

No sportsman minds losing a fair game but when the opposition ignores the rules, has the referee on its side and keeps you blindfolded and playing into the wind, it's hard to keep smiling.

Thanks then to Chris Titley for raising troop morale with his excellent article on YNET's ten years of working for York's natural environment (Evening Press, November 19).

Bogged down with the day-to-day business of ensuring that there will be a bit of green left for the next generation, we almost overlooked our tenth anniversary. Looking back, we have achieved quite a lot, often against the odds.

We will continue to do our best for York's open spaces, probably still against the odds but now buoyed up by the public recognition you have just given us.

Could I point out though that after YNET's campaign to retain St Nicholas' Fields as a nature park and education resource managed to save some of the original nature area from destruction, the council founded and funded a separate group, the Friends of St Nicholas' Fields who should now take credit for its running.

If any reader want to join us in our unequal fight, we meet 7.30pm the last Tuesday of each month in York's Guildhall, or contact Bob Hutchinson, membership secretary, 16 Manor Park Close, York, YO30 5UZ.

Barry Potter,

Chairman YNET,

Knapton Lane,

Acomb.

Friends of the field

ST Nicholas Fields Urban Nature Park did indeed start as a campaign in 1988 by a call from the then chair of York Natural Environment Trust to remain a natural area which he hoped "would remain gloriously overgrown."

I joined YNET in their campaign, indeed I became the St Nicholas Fields Co-ordinator.

We (YNET) campaigned for four years with petitions, letters and public awareness day trips around St Nick's.

The old York City Council listened to what people were saying, but it also helped that the cost of turning the site into a large industrial area with some social housing became too expensive. So 18 acres was designated as a "nature area".

However, by 1992 a new group had been formed by local residents called the Friends of St Nicholas Fields.

The council saw this group as being the natural managers of the area, in keeping with devolving local responsibility to residents.

The aim of the 'Friends' was to promote the site as a natural area of flora and fauna, which could also provide leisure amenity space and educational opportunities for everyone.

We still do.

We are affiliated to YNET but are a totally separate body with our own constitution and trustees. We are not a council run organisation, but we do receive financial support from them. Anyone wishing to find out more about St Nicholas Fields can phone me on 01904 430402 or pop into Tang Hall Community Centre.

Gordon Thomas,

Project Co-ordinator,

Tang Hall Community Centre,

Fifth Avenue,

York.

Sport for all

RUTH Waddilove wrote querying the wisdom of the proposed £7m tennis complex at Monk's Cross, questioned its viability and was concerned about "the acute shortage of readily available sports facilities for casual users" (Letters, November 12).

As chairman of leisure services, I would like to know where this acute shortage is, because that's why the City of York Council's leisure services exists.

There are ten tennis clubs in York and four tennis leagues; in total there are over 190 clubs, organisations and associations covering sports from American football to weightlifting; there are more than 30 sports facilities (including centres and schools with public access) and ten gyms and fitness clubs.

I welcome the debate as to what further facilities are required. We are currently producing a city-wide leisure plan (out for consultation in December this year) mapping what is provided (by public, private and voluntary sectors) and where, we seek readers' suggestions.

As to the membership cost of the proposed tennis complex, this is a matter for the commercial operator whose research, presumably, indicates that enough customers are willing to pay the fee.

The good news is that it extends choice and adds to the facilities available for York people, meaning there is more for everyone.

By way of cost comparison, some people choose to spend over £300 per year to watch a wider range of television channels.

This year's leisure budget subsidises sport to the tune of £1.28m.

The Labour group remains committed to providing subsidised access to a whole range of sports and will continue to do so.

The "Best Value" exercise is about how we do that most effectively and how that expenditure most closely meets the demands of you, the citizens.

Coun Bob Scrase,

Chairman, Leisure Services,

Kyme Street,

York.

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