WALKING down the replacement for Cinder Lane, I was struck by the environmental damage and missed opportunities next to the new railway car park, Network Rail and its flagship offices.

So, indulge me a moment and imagine walking from the Railway Museum towards the station where we see a long ugly green fence where some green hedging or shrubbery could be grown without interfering with the tracks.

Moving further on as we walk behind the station, we observe on the right hand side a good couple of metres behind where cars are parked and the green fence on our right – imagine the biodiversity connectivity that could have been generated there. It gets worse as we now observe extraordinarily high and ugly chain link facing (imagine hawthorn and blackthorn here), concrete, pebbles that goes on as far as the eye can see. Which only intensifies in its height and ugliness.

As we arrive at the Network Rail campus car park, the concrete pebbling approach widens massively. But still no greenery, no hedging, not even a plant. We see the odd silver birch sparingly spread in the car park.

The potential for greening York Central is tremendous. It could absorb pollution, improve air quality, sequester carbon, improve biodiversity and enhance the aesthetic of the area.

I encourage the stakeholders – some of who are subject to Government Greening Commitments – to reflect on this opportunity and even if for only economic reasons, make a real effort to green the remainder of York Central and reconsider the pitiful lack of consideration they have given to this path.

Richard Bridge,

Holgate Road,

York