Developers need to think small

IS the new proposed local plan designed to turn the roads in York into one big car park?

Why have so many small sites been taken out in favour of the massive developments that are situated on very busy and narrow roads?

Maybe it would be a much better idea to build small sites around the edge of every community.

This to me would be much fairer and share the load on the already-stretched infrastructure. You could place a limit on developments between 50 and 100 plots, depending on the availability of any land, these to include starter homes for those needing to get on to the property ladder and bungalows for older people to downsize.

This would also help York’s smaller house builders as it would enable them to do these smaller projects. Smaller sites could be processed quickly and built on straight away. York needs housing now, not in five to 10 years’ time.

I do realise this only goes part of the way to easing the housing crisis. It might also be an idea to build two communities (villages) outside of York, one on the Scarborough rail line and one on the Harrogate line, with the developers paying for the halts needed using the tracks as a shared rail/tramline into York and beyond.

M Evans, Boroughbridge Road, York

Police helcopter is worth every penny

I WOULD like to offer a response to Jacqueline Hart’s letter “How can we justify helicopter expense?”

For the police to request the assistance of a helicopter is not taken lightly. There are strict criteria involved in relation to the incident to which the police have responded. A helicopter is a vital resource in certain circumstances, for example, the vulnerable person who is known to have entered a large area which is impossible for foot patrols to search and it’s essential that the person is found for their own safety, the vehicle that crashes and the occupants run off, the burglar who is trying to evade police but the area has been contained and it again is impossible for the “ground troops” to be able to apprehend him due to time of night, terrain, etc. The helicopter with its thermal imaging comes into play with regular positive results.

The helicopter can lead officers on the ground to where an alleged offender may be hiding. This, in many cases has led to the apprehension of the culprit.

I sincerely hope that Ms Hart has never been a victim of crime. If she were, I’m sure she would want the police to use their resources to solve the crime! Yes, the budgets are tight, but the police have a job to do and they do it.

Miss E Welburn, Serving police officer, York