THIS is an open letter to all local councillors and Network Rail development officers regarding the York Central development.

We are taking the first positive steps on a very long journey, which could take over 25 years to complete.

Listening to the council meetings it was mentioned a “sense of community must be nurtured and it will be lacking in a gymnasium and sports facilities”.

Within the footprint of the development these and many more activities exist and have done since 1889. It’s called York RI, which provides 12 different sports and leisure activities, including national table tennis and badminton tournaments with the kudos this brings to the city. Its central situation made it possible for 160,000 individual activity visits last year alone.

Being associated with York RI for 60 years, I was dismayed to see that if the Queen Street bridge is demolished this would impact on “removal or adaptation” of some RI buildings.

While I applaud progress, it is criminal to just cast off an icon of sport and culture which has served hundreds of thousands of York and district citizens.

Network Rail hold the future of the biggest sports and social centre in the city of York in their hands.

I urge them, the partners and our council representatives to seek a solution to this problem. If not yet another York icon will be consigned to the history books.

William Moore, Lochrin Place, York