I was disgusted that the City of York Council pressed ahead with its appeal against the development of the airfield at Elvington (Airport scheme crashes, The Press, January 15).

Do they not have any thought for the future of the city?

The recession should have altered their thinking and allowed the creation of jobs; well-paid jobs.

The airport would have helped in bringing new, desperately wanted work to the area.

This council is quite happy to build on prime farm land (the new university), but then rejects a project like the airport that would have a minimal effect on the landscape.

People will blame the inspector for his short-sightedness in putting birds before people, but it is the council and their officers who are the main culprits.

I wonder if a change of council will suggest to the developers that they should resubmit their plans. I sincerely hope that that will happen.

Don Proud, Curlew Glebe, Dunnington, York.

• Once again the planners have stopped a project that would bring York part way in to the 21st century, by refusing the development of Elvington Airfield.

Would it not be a good idea for every one of those planners and officials together with the protestors to have their passports stamped “not valid for air travel”.

I wonder how quickly that would cause a major protest.

All I can say to Chris Hudson (Elvington Park Ltd) is not to give up.

The proposed development is one of the best that has been put forward so far and would be very beneficial to York.

Phill Thomas, Brecksfields, Skelton, York.

• Mike Slater, assistant director responsible for planning and sustainable development at City of York Council said: “The council’s position on the provision of airport services needed to support the economy took into consideration the findings of the recent business-led Future York Group Report.

“This identified that the main providers of air services which underpin business need were the existing regional airports. Better, it was stated that access to these good quality, reliable regional services should be improved wherever possible.

“The worries about the potential of the proposal to damage internationally important wildlife habitat, the impact on the green belt around the historic city of York and the negative impact on the quality of life of local residents were considered by the independent government inspector.

“He concurred, when coming to a judgement on the proposed development, that these concerns were indeed real.”