THE proposal to illuminate York's attractions at night to encourage tourists to continue spending money into the evenings is, at first sight, attractive (August 19).

However, such a lighting scheme must be planned well, otherwise York's existing catalogue of inappropriate lighting will be repeated.

Many existing floodlights do more to illuminate the sky and dazzle those on the ground than illuminate the walls, while polluting everyone's view of the stars.

Most dangerous of all are the bright white lights on Skeldergate Bridge which do little, or nothing, to illuminate pedestrians on the bridge while obliterating our view of the sky.

Soft lighting provides much better illumination - witness how much darker a road is when full of cars with headlights switched on compared with a road with just amber street lights.

Dr Duncan Campbell,

Albemarle Road, York.

...YORK can be a very dimly-lit place after dark, river pathways can be especially off-putting when darkness falls.

Much brighter lighting along these routes to prevent crime and enhance the city's beauty is welcome.

York's historical buildings can only really be viewed in their splendour during daylight, but lighting these places at night would be a big benefit not only to the tourists but also to York residents.

Are there plans to stage a spectacular display this Christmas? This is another area that could do with improvements

What we have had during the past few years has been an improvement. When I first moved to York nearly 16 years ago the city did not have Christmas lighting in the streets. This really surprised me.

Let's hope for a brighter future for this splendid city so we can experience its wonderful atmosphere and beauty, during the day and after dark.

M Saggers,

St Stephens Square,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 10:43 Thursday, August 21, 2003