IF as I was informed by an officer of City of York Council, the wishes of officers to delay the start of the Lendal Bridge scheme were overruled by councillors then is it not possible that but for that decision a lot of the problems and costs could have been avoided?

From that it would seem to me that the cost, lately revealed, should not be met by the council taxpayers of York but by the people who made the decision to go ahead, apparently against the advice of those paid and trained to advise on such schemes.

If these councillors cannot pay outright, then no doubt time to pay could be arranged.

This should surely be the way ahead for all politicians, when they spend public money against sound advice – let them have to stand the cost if their schemes fail.

If this is implemented I foresee huge savings for the public purse in the future and a lot less I’ll thought schemes locally and nationally.

Keith Woodland, Galtres Road, York.