I REFER to the recent and latest outburst of concern at the contraction (and possible demise?) of York’s famous and historic market.

It seems the penny has still not dropped with members of City of York Council and senior officers that there is a direct link between the sorry state of Newgate Market and the continued expansion of the adjacent Parliament Street markets.

The growth in the Parliament Street markets over recent years is an outrageous piece of empire building. This has considerably damaged Newgate Market, and because of the creeping changes in the type of goods on offer by the Parliament Street markets is now providing the same unfair competition to other city-centre businesses.

The whole situation needs thorough scrutiny, and councillors should listen carefully to the comments of market traders, past and present, and other small city-centre business operators. Ernest Dickinson, Jack’s Kitchen, Church Street, York.

• A City of York Council spokeswoman said: “The specialist markets and events held in the city centre are very popular, something which our footfall counters support.

“Such activity has, in fact, been mirrored in many towns and cities across the country, with York being highlighted as a good example of ‘best practice’.

“When considering activities for Parliament Street, we are careful to ensure that they are not to the detriment of our regular market in Newgate which, it is hoped, benefits from the extra footfall these events bring to the city.

“A council scrutiny committee is currently analysing the situation in Newgate, and work is ongoing in considering the future of this area as a whole, including improvements to the operation and delivery of our much-valued market and its traders. However, it’s important to stress that occupancy levels at Newgate Market are generally good, with 85 per cent of stalls occupied each day.”