I RECENTLY attended public consultations on the proposed sugar factory site development.

The first was apparently reserved for those who fiercely objected to anything being done all. But there was also a sprinkling of councillors, doubtless wondering whether they dared have an opinion.

I intended to consult the large-scale maps, but the first arrivals stood immovable before them, as though mesmerised by the spiel. It was some time before I could inch my way forward but the maps were no clearer than those on the website, so I wasted my time.

The barkers did their utmost, but were seemingly not fluent in council-speak. Ostensible clarity in planning matters inevitably makes one wary.

The second consultation (a quieter affair) promised a site visit, so I attended that as well. I had hoped for a conducted tour on foot, but we were bussed slowly round a man-made wilderness. Our knowledgeable guides, familiar with the terrain, pointed out nothingness with confidence.

Yet, what worries me is this: when this site is transformed into a happy-cycling, socially inclusive, car-free “sustainable” eco-land, will the residents love it in reality as the planners do in their “vision”?

William Dixon Smith, Welland Rise, Acomb, York.