AN ARTICLE in The Press of May 4 (Heritage fears over HQ plans) and the comment (Don’t let past stifle present) reports that this society has fears about the preservation of features of York’s original station in the conversion of the building to the new council HQ.

In its comments, the society was supportive of the application in general terms and impressed by many of the plans on display.

We sought to draw attention to the proposal to dismantle and re-erect the early train-shed roof as a cycle shelter.

We feel that this fails to respect the historic interest and significance of part of one of the earliest mainline railway stations in the country, and thus the world.

Far from stifling the present by the past, we would like to see the past being used to improve the future.

Surely it is possible to devise a design in which the significant remains of York’s railway heritage are restored and displayed for the people of York, within a civic centre as worthy of York in the 21st century as the station was of York in the 19th.

David Brinklow, Chairman, Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society, Stray Garth, York.