Readers who may be alarmed by the catalogue of horrendous crimes committed by users of the public footpath which runs through the St Peter's School site, so eloquently described by Mr Naylor (July 14), may take comfort in the knowledge that the matter has now been referred to the Secretary of State.

This was done through the highly dubious "urgency committee" procedure after the council's own sub-committee dealing with the matter had decided that the school had totally failed to establish its case, and had resolved to abandon the order for closure immediately.

Why the executive chose to over-rule its own committee in this way is far from clear, and we have lodged a formal complaint with the chief executive asking for full details on the legitimacy of the decision-making process to be made available to us under the Freedom of Information Act.

Whether or not we will take the matter further will depend upon the council's response.

We have advised the planning inspectorate, which is making a preliminary assessment of the evidence of our concerns.

We have also advised it that the council has apparently failed to forward certain items of evidence submitted by objectors at the various committee meetings held to consider the closure, which it is obliged to do.

As the matter is so controversial, it would be in the interests of all concerned for the planning inspectorate to recommend that a public inquiry be held.

This would enable us to challenge the evidence put forward by both the council and the school through cross-examination.

We are asking the inspectorate to make such a recommendation.

Philip Crowe,

Chairman, Clifton Path Action Group, York.

Updated: 08:52 Saturday, July 16, 2005