I WISH to respond to the coverage given to Messrs Laverack (in an article) and J R Jones and P R A Sawdon (in the letters column) about the award of costs against the City of York Council for the York House Poppleton decision.

Since the City of York Council was set up in 1996, up to May 2000 it has determined 6,557 planning applications.

Of these only 237, or 3.7 per cent, were appealed against. Only 33 per cent were successful (77 in total).

Of the 77 successful appeals only seven were awarded costs against the council and not one was awarded more than 48 per cent of those costs. I should have thought this is a record that any authority or its citizens would be proud of.

Mr J R Jones of Sand Hutton Manor claimed he was awarded 'several thousand pounds costs' against the council.

This is factually incorrect, he was in fact awarded £1,004 (30 per cent of his costs).

City of York Council does not normally pursue costs against disappointed, failed appellants. Perhaps we should. Or perhaps we should follow Mr Laverack's suggestion and ask him and his fellow failed appellants against City of York Council's decision to refuse planning permission to consider making voluntary contributions towards the cost of defending our decisions at appeal.

This would far outstrip the costs awarded against the city, thereby setting an example of fairness and equity.

In the case of Plaskitt & Plaskitt, they might consider themselves fortunate indeed to have got away with committing the criminal offence of undertaking work on a listed building without the consent.

Councillor Derek W Smallwood,

Service Spokesperson,

Planning Transport & The Environment, City of York Council.