CASTLE Quarter - what a breath of fresh air (Evening Press, July 6)!

I love the look, the green spacious feel, pedestrian bridges, tree-lined roads, riverside walks, all sensitively proportioned, and the slightly higgledy-piggledy 'chunks' of buildings which are in keeping with York's architecture and which do not block out the lovely little river Foss, plus the cultural possibilities of a dedicated building in the heart of such an amazing part of the world.

Let's go with this and drop the huge lumps of Lego that have been proposed but would overpower Clifford's Tower.

All we'd need then is to deal with the remaining 1960s eyesores such as The Stonebow, the ghastly bright pink shops, plant some magnificent trees to minimise the visual impact of vast new junctions such as the one over the Foss where Foss Islands Road meets Layerthorpe.

Finally, to make up to this still dainty watercourse, that winds its sad way through our city, as well as to create a ribbon of glorious colour along the whole length, why not allow properly-maintained narrow boats to moor alongside? Cities that celebrate their waterways so often show snaps of these types of areas. We could do the same - yet more reason to come and see us here in York and for residents to feel happy as they go about their business.

Gwen Baldock,

Villa Grove, York.

...HAVING studied the artist's impression of the Reagan Miller Association's plan for Coppergate, I think it has much to commend it over previous submissions. However, I was alarmed to see that Clifford's Tower will have to be shrunk to about a third of its size if it is going to look remotely like it does in the drawing.

Richard Stansfield,

Main Street,

Bulmer, York.

...THE proposed new vision of Coppergate is fantastic! If the City Council get the Park & Ride organised, they won't miss the car park and the tourists will love it.

Len Spray,

Trent Avenue,

Huntington, York.

Updated: 12:36 Monday, July 09, 2001