I WRITE to express my horror at the thought of the Coppergate Riverside plan put forward by Land Securities and supported by City of York Council.

York is being sacrificed to appease the commercialism which is driving our society at the moment.

This development is driven by development companies (with profit as their only aim) and some of the huge companies of the retail industry (again, out for profit) and is being aided by York's planning department.

A few weeks ago I visited Chester for the first time and expected to find an ancient, well-preserved city like York.

Some of the architecture, the open spaces and parts of the riverside were lovely, but the city as a whole was a massive disappointment.

Why? Because every retail outlet could have been found in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Reading, Newcastle and Carlisle etc. There was no individuality.

Unless we make a concerted effort not to let this happen in York we will soon be in exactly the same position. We should be protecting our local businesses and small shops - the ones which make York so popular with tourists - and actively keeping out the others.

We should be restoring our urban environment (and open spaces) while retaining and accentuating the one aspect of our city that cannot be found anywhere else in the world - York's history.

A development such as that proposed by Land Securities will destroy York.

Like many others I am a full-time worker with a teenage family. I do not have time to attend crucial meetings.

This does not mean I do not care what is happening in York. I really appreciate the efforts of York Tomorrow in countering the plans put forward by Land Securities and those of the Evening Press in keeping us all informed.

L Butcher,

Fulford,

York.

Updated: 10:40 Monday, November 19, 2001