I WAS a neutral on the Arts Barge project until I dropped into their Gypsy Jazz night.

It floated my boat and the boats of the others packed into the Victoria Vaults venue.

The night showcased some exciting home-grown musicianship and appealed to a wide variety of ages and types. All at York’s favourite price (free).

What’s not to like about converting a Selby barge for this purpose?

So far a group of enterprising and committed locals have raised enough money to do the work.

Yet the council has been tepid and their planning officer now recommends rejection of the request for a permanent mooring for the barge close to Skeldergate Bridge.

They say they the barge’s impact on the immediate area would be a worry.

Would this be the same council that waves through sheaves of applications for pubs and coffee shops that are changing the entire character of central York?

If your good night out means getting off your face as fast as possible, the city has plenty to go at.

The Arts Barge would be an alternative asset that could be a real winner for locals and tourists.

Councillors would be made alive to this fact after half an hour of Gypsy Jazz.

Mick Hickling, Clifton Dale, York