ALLOW me to clear up some of the one sided arguments you reported ("Battle field," May 1).

None of the residents involved in the application for the village green are against a new school for St Barnabas School. The residents are against the site the council has decided to develop on, without looking at alternative sites.

The council has looked at the only green space in the area, disregarding suitable areas such as the location on Balfour Street which is large enough and would have better access. About 40 residents submitted application forms for this area to be designated a village green. Some are dog walkers, some may ride horses, but some are parents who have children of school age.

They are concerned with the area flooding and the loss of a green open space in an area that has terrace houses with no gardens.

The open area has always been used for recreation. It is incredible that in such a historic city as York, green open space located so close to the city centre has never been protected for the future.

The council never provides open green spaces of this size and location, they only build on them.

A Flecknor,

Balfour Street, York.

...AS a grandmother of children who attend St Barnabas School I was delighted to hear the Leeman Road area had a village green.

However, although I've been a resident of York for many years, I struggled to find such a site. Certainly there is no maypole to identify its location.

There was, however the Millennium Green, the Memorial Green, the children's play park and Clifton Ings acre upon acre of grassland bordering the river as it flows from the city.

If these areas are what the small band of dissenting voices would have us believe to be a village green, then let's contact the Guinness Book Of Records because it is quite clearly the biggest village green in the country.

The Leeman Road area needs a new school, and the amount of land such a building would take up is minuscule in comparison with the huge expanse of land that envelops the area.

Mrs E Harvey,

Malvern Avenue,

Boroughbridge Road, York.

...AS a resident of Leeman Road for 54 years I have never heard of Victoria Park spoken of or referred to as a village green until this recent campaign by Mr and Mrs Youngjohns and a few other misinformed people.

They should count themselves lucky to be living in Stephenson Way at all because their houses stand on a site previously occupied by the Leeman Road Working Men's Club, an amenity lost to the local community for housing development.

I have seen Victoria Park change from a tip occupied by gipsies to what it has become now, public open space and plenty of it. I have played football there for 25 years as have many York sportsmen. The pitches were rented off the council - how can that be classed as a village green?

It's time for residents who care about the education of the children on Leeman Road to voice their concerns and shout for a new school on the allocated site.

Patrick Morrow says the issue is not a NIMBY (not in my backyard) one (May 5) - this statement alone shows where his interests lie.

Where were these people who now complain when LEAF (Leeman Road Environmental Action Force) and the Leeman Road Millennium Green Trust were formed to specifically create and look after green spaces?

Let them look beyond their own backyards and see what has been created for all the residents to enjoy not just those who think their view will be spoiled.

S Maxwell,

Chairman,

Leeman Road Millennium Green Trust,

Garfield Terrace,

Leeman Road, York.

...IF the intention were to construct a huge swathe of housing, the "no" campaign would have my full support, but it's not. The proposed building's footprint will occupy a small corner of a huge expanse of land.

The scheme has the backing of the St Barnabas governing body, staff, parents, councillors, the Leeman Road Playgroup and the community at large.

Yet against any rational thinking 78 people have apparently registered to designate the area as a village green. How many of the 78 actually have any links with the area at all?

Many believe they are effectively professional complainants who, rather than having the best interests of the community at heart, will adopt any stance to oppose the scheme to suit their own agenda.

A Warren,

Cranbrook Road,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 10:23 Tuesday, May 11, 2004