I am very concerned about the proposed siting of a £7 million tennis complex at Monks Cross.

Your report (November 6) refers to a host of sports facilities that will be created for York people but the cost of individual membership is estimated at £600 a year.

How many York people will be able to afford such a sum on an individual basis, let alone the cost for a whole family?

The carrot offered for this development is free tennis coaching for local schools. We need to remember that one of the aims of the centre is to discover and nurture future Tim Henmans.

A small minority of talented young players will be selected for ongoing coaching and the enthusiastic, but average players are likely to find that they are barred from further access to the courts unless their parents are able to afford the annual subscription.

To gain the popular Waterworld pool the city lost the Ryedale Sports Hall and in its place have excellent fitness facilities but available only to adults at a cost of approximately £350 a year.

I believe there is an acute shortage of readily available sports facilities for casual users of all ages and income and the building of another elite complex is not going to resolve this.

I hope the York planning department will seriously consider turning down this proposal and investigate ways of using the precious land to provide sports facilities and perhaps an ice skating rink available to all.

Ruth Waddilove,

Stockton Lane,

York.

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