I HOPE Berwick Kaler is taking notes on the unfolding Community Stadium saga because it is descending into a farce worthy of a Christmas pantomime.

To suddenly claim that the project cannot go ahead without replacing a modern fun pool is ridiculous. And to further insist that £4million of additional funding must be agreed immediately or the whole deal is off smacks of desperation.

The published land values and costings (such as they are) have no credibility in the eyes of local construction professionals and the whole contractual arrangement is extraordinarily convoluted.

Two crucially important questions need to be answered now: Firstly, what happens if the planning application is called in by the Secretary of State? Just because he didn’t intervene last time doesn’t mean he won’t on this massively increased proposal.

Secondly, what happens if the council’s preferred business partner goes bust? No one can say it will never happen. Remember what happened at the Barbican.

Matthew Laverack, Architect of this parish, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York.