I AGREE with your editorial about the decision to demolish Burton Croft but some facts need to be pointed out.

Labour members put a motion to the committee to save this building. The committee was split 50/50 and it was the Liberal Democrat chair's casting vote, which rejected the motion and approved the decision to demolish.

This is a gross misuse of the casting vote if ever I saw one. Coun Richard Moore should be ashamed of himself.

Why did he do it? If he agreed with the developers he must be oblivious to the historical importance and charm of this building. Or he was playing party politics?

Either way he should do the honourable thing for York and resign his position as chair of the planning committee.

Coun Mark Waudby is another of the Lib Dems who voted for its destruction. Fifteen months ago his partner unsuccessfully stood in Clifton as a candidate in the local elections. She tried to woo the electorate there by promising them better representation. Fortunately, the residents of Clifton were not taken in by her false promises.

Since then she has attended at least one site visit to Burton Croft and made noises about how it should be saved. Does she not talk to her husband? Is Coun Waudby taking his revenge for his partner's electoral disappointment?

Would they have voted to demolish this building had it stood in a Lib Dem ward? I doubt it. Her credibility must now be in question, as must the credibility of this administration.

The saddest thing of all is this building could have been saved. Sometimes members of planning committees need to do the brave thing and vote against the officers' recommendations. On this occasion, that would have been the right thing to do.

Jane Overhill,

Holly Bank Road,

Holgate, York,

...AFTER attending last Thursday's council planning meeting at Guildhall I could not sleep that night and wrote this letter in the early hours of Friday morning.

Although I was at the meeting for a planning proposal to do with flats on Burton Stone Lane, my family and I found ourselves witnesses to the fate of Burton Croft, the former home of JB Morrell, who was Lord Mayor of York and a great champion of the city's heritage.

After a debate lasting three quarters of an hour the committee chairman cast the deciding vote to demolish the building. I left the meeting totally saddened.

Although Burton Croft was not a listed building, what legacy are we leaving our children, grand children and future generations of the city? Are they just going to be left with a York skyline of flats? Will they only see buildings such as Burton Croft in books?

Maybe we and the city's councillors should try that little bit harder.

Mrs Amanda Smith,

Burton Stone Lane, York.

Updated: 11:33 Monday, August 16, 2004