THE article on Germany Beck in The Press of February 6 implies criticism of Fulford Parish Council that I believe is unwarranted.

It is unfortunately true that the legal battle was lost in the end, but the process has certainly exposed the failures of City of York Council in the way it handled the reserved matters application, not least in relation to flooding.

The council approved a development where homes are located within flood zones two and three, but where the application did not contain a single plan showing the layout of the houses in relation to the flood zones. To this date, such a plan has not been produced.

Furthermore, the (then) flood risk officer flatly denied to the planning committee that there were any houses in zone three.

However, at the last stage of the legal process council officers sent witness statements to the court, accepting that properties had been approved within flood zone three (and many more within zone two) and that the officer was wrong to deny this during the committee meeting.

Consequently this problem has now been recognised, but now needs to be resolved through the discharge of planning conditions.

This is not how the planning system should be operating for a major EIA development where irreplaceable heritage assets, protected wildlife and the natural environment are at serious risk.

Alan Smith, Chair of Fulford Parish Council, Fordlands Road, Fulford, York.