THE new Park and Ride at the Naburn shopping complex is causing much cynical interest in Rawcliffe, home of the so-called Northern Gateway.

It is good, but odd, to see that the council now accepts the argument that a Park And Ride would be best sited within commercial developments to minimise the impact on green belt land and maximise the added value for travellers.

The previous Park and Ride at Clifton Moor had been leased from one of the commercial companies there, employing semi-permanent facilities. It was a major plank of the council's argument that this kind of partnership agreement was unsatisfactory and that a purpose-built site was needed on green belt land near residential properties in Rawcliffe.

It was also critical to their arguments that the site should be within the ring road, when we had suggested an alternative linked to Clifton Moor but on the north side on old airfield land. They also claimed that space for Park and Ride should not be at the expense of other development land.

Strangely, none of these arguments seems to apply to the Naburn development. Does this change of policy emphasis mean the council now accepts the arguments put by the Northern Gateway campaigners?

Or is there a likelihood that they will realise that Naburn has the same disadvantages as Clifton Moor and that a purpose-built Park and Ride should be built next to homes in Fulford?

Martin Bashforth,

Chairman, York Northern Gateway Group, Alwyne Drive, York.