HAVING read many letters and articles recently about council policies, it seems City of York Council has a string of good intentions continuously ruined by simple lack of common sense.

First we had the Lendal Bridge closure.

Someone had a radical idea and ran a trial – exactly the kind of thinking we should encourage.

Politics aside, common sense says the council should have the power to enforce this kind of traffic control.

Unfortunately, common sense is not in the job description of the national government’s traffic adjudicator that signed its legal death knell.

Then came “twenty’s plenty” – a bold change with all good intentions but got seriously fouled up in the implementation with 50 yard cul-de-sacs having signs put up.

It’s a good idea, but common sense went out of the window.

Finally, anti-homeless arm rests on bus stop benches.

While no-one wants to see homeless people’s situation made worse, there is a real and valid argument that bus shelters are there for people to sit on while waiting for a bus.

So 5,400 people have signed a petition to have the bars removed.

I don’t want any of my council tax being wasted on undoing the work.

I’d rather the council support a local homeless charity. Would that not make more common sense?

Phil Stead, Northolme Drive, Rawcliffe, York