AM I dreaming? Did Councillor Reid really say that the more people you ask, the more you are likely to get a negative response ("Why do we need one of these?" February 15)?

Did Peter Evely really say that he was panicking over the "heavy volume of traffic" that he fears as a result of the council approving "massive future development at Monks Cross and the Foss Basin".

I ask Coun Reid what happened to integrity? And I ask Mr Evely what happened to planning?

I could go on at length but to what purpose? Our council seem impervious to criticism and oblivious to basic common sense.

Just look at the number of ill-considered contentious projects: Derwenthorpe, Hungate, Coppergate, the Barbican, parking fees, Ascot week traffic, swimming pools; together with numerous approvals for unwanted and unnecessary blocks of flats.

And, of course, there is council tax. If York council ran a business, it would be heading downhill, customers would be leaving in droves, and their shareholders would be voting them out.

But York council is a business and we are both their shareholders and part of their customer base. I don't know what drives the council, but it clearly isn't the benefit of their electorate.

The strange thing is that they don't seem to care. I just hope they will pay the price at the next election.

M G Ives,

Southfields Road,

Strensall, York.

Updated: 10:19 Thursday, February 17, 2005