It is clear to many in the business community that the council has had a lack of people with skill to deal with large-scale building projects.

We only have to look at York Central, British Sugar, Hungate, the Barbican, the university swimming pool, Derwenthorpe and Germany Beck.

After seven years of Lib-Dem administration it feels like project after project is stalled, delayed and shelved, while not one brick is laid and taxpayer’s money is lost hand over fist.

To help get York out of this rut the regional development agency, set up by Labour, was funding some posts to bring in this much-needed skill to unlock the development potential in this city.

This would create construction jobs, new homes, new employment and possible leisure and commercial opportunities.

The Conservatives wanted to abolish regional development agencies and the Lib Dems went into national coalition with them.

Now the funding for such posts is no longer secured by the Con-Dem coalition.

It is unfair on the people of York that a Labour initiative trying to break local Lib-Dem failure looks like it could be scrapped or scaled down by the Con-Dems in power nationally.

Coun James Alexander, Leader of City of York’s Labour opposition group, Holgate Road, York.