I READ with interest the article regarding the public consultation on York Central access options (The Press, November 18).

Earlier this year a bombshell was dropped that City of York Council planned to build an access road into York Central which would devastate our community.

There was little attempt by the council to engage with affected residents ahead of these developments.

We discovered that plans were alarmingly advanced with land swaps having taken place to facilitate this road and language to suggest that this option was a fait accompli.

The Chancery Rise link has been put forward as the “favoured” option to the West Yorkshire Transport Fund ahead of this public consultation.

While we welcome an open, public consultation on access options, we need reassurances from the council that this process will be meaningful and genuinely listen to the concerns of communities when making the final decision.

In light of strategic developments, which seem to have taken place without public scrutiny, there remains a large level of scepticism that all options will be reconsidered equally.

Now is the time for City of York Council to restore its democratic credentials and provide honest answers and assurances to an acutely concerned community.

Benjamin Hall, York