LABOUR supporter H F Perry has let his political sympathies get in the way of real analysis in his letter accusing the York’s Conservative-led administration of a U-turn regarding Lendal Bridge and Coppergate (Letters, May 17).

Without rehashing the whole Labour-led debacle, the furore over Lendal Bridge and Coppergate was not solely about Labour’s decisions to close the bridge or to limit traffic on Coppergate, but its lack of consultation with residents and businesses and the inept way in which it carried out the closures.

The Conservative group initially took a neutral stand over the closure of Lendal Bridge and always supported limiting traffic on Coppergate.

It soon became apparent that the signage for both schemes was inadequate and misleading, that appropriate publicity had been lacking and that the knock-on effects had not been adequately taken into account.

Labour has always persisted in seeing any criticism of its handling of the closures as criticism of the closures themselves and not of their implementation, which turned out to be legally flawed.

The current administration has been careful to take the best professional and legal advice available regarding Coppergate, and has no plans to close any of York’s bridges at this time.

Cllr Ian Gillies, Conservative, Rural West Ward, Executive member for transport and planning