What Nigel Ingram fails to understand (Letters August 13) is that if the proposed Derwenthorpe development goes ahead not only would it mean the slaughter of wildlife and destruction of a historic site but we, as local residents, would have our quality of life impaired by the extra traffic imposed on us.

In the case of Temple Avenue, which is far too narrow for vehicle access, we would lose our grass verges to concrete parking bays to allow a clear run on to the site (whether we wanted this or not). This will devalue existing properties.

Other access on to the site would be Osbaldwick village with extra traffic thundering through, also the Meadlands estate. There is also a possibility of flooding from the beck. We witnessed this in York recently and know what misery it can cause.

Mr Ingram and the Rowntree Trust should find a more suitable site with better access for their developments and let us keep our wildlife and historic sites.

Bob Peel,

Temple Avenue, York.

...Nigel Ingram of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation invites environmentalists such as Barry Potter to "consider the facts of our plans for the newts and their habitat, rather than repeating what he admits are only rumours about our intentions" (Letters August 13).

If Mr Ingram wants people to support his plans he should make them public and make the findings of Mr Hammond, JRF's ecologist, public knowledge because I have been told by the council's planning department that he has confirmed the presence of great crested newts on the Derwenthorpe site, something which has not so far been admitted by the foundation.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation's plans for the Derwenthorpe site involve digging up some of the meadows and transporting them to another site. Can Mr Ingram explain where he proposes to transport these meadows?

While I recognise JRF's desire to create a new community at Osbaldwick, this does not give them the right to ride roughshod over the existing residents and this includes not just the wildlife on the site but also the people who live nearby. I refer, for example, to the compulsory purchase order which is being forced on the residents of Fifth Avenue against their will. This is hardly the act of a "charity".

Adrian Wilson,

Grasmere Drive, York.

Updated: 10:07 Thursday, August 26, 2004