AS A resident living on Bootham for over 35 years, I disagree with the council’s decision to abandon the closure of Lendal Bridge.

Substantial improvements in our living conditions in terms of lower pollution, less traffic noise and easier access within the city centre have resulted.

I am willing to put up with the inconvenience of a longer journey for the overwhelming benefits we saw this winter.

St Leonard’s Place, Exhibition Square and Gillygate will return to unpleasantly congested and polluted environments.

What now for the programme of improvements to Exhibition Square in time for the reopening of the Art Gallery?

York’s economy relies so heavily on ensuring tourists enjoy their visits and the reopening of Lendal Bridge must adversely affect this objective.

I believe the closure has unfairly been blamed for much of the major traffic disruption caused by the necessary works for the A59 Park & Ride. The council should make a calm and rational assessment of all the available traffic data.

I am sure many residents who enjoyed the beneficial changes to our lives brought about by the closure remained silent up to now. I hope this will now change and supporters will get involved in challenging negative attitudes to environmental change and will promote the very real and tangible benefits that we’ve experienced in recent months.

Dr Roger Wools, Bootham, York.