Now that the campaign against the sale of the city’s Union Terrace coach park has gathered momentum, it is time to ask a few searching questions.

1. Why the big rush to bring about the sale?

2. Why have other potential buyers not been sought?

3. Does York St John University genuinely intend to expand the university, or merely build an accommodation and retail unit to the detriment of York landlords and retailers?

4. Is there anything to stop York St John University selling this land on to another developer?

5. Are the stated 200 jobs supposedly created short-term building jobs, franchised food and drink outlet staff and low-paid domestic workers, or a convenient figment of someone’s imagination?

6. Do the present leaders of the council have any understanding of the importance of tourism to the city?

7. Where does Coun Alexander think the coaches will park?

8. What would Coun Alexander like to do with the Minster Quarter once large numbers of businesses have closed?

9. How long will it take for us, and at what cost, to bring back coach operators once they have decided York isn’t worth the trouble and taken their business to Harrogate, Durham and the like?

10. Is this a done deal already?

As yet, satisfactory answers to these questions have been hard to come by, but hopefully they will be answered before any further progress is made.

Lucia Martin, Appleton Court, Bishopthorpe, York.

* There has been much publicity about the sale of the union terrace car park to the college.

Has no one given any thought to the fact that those who now park there will move to the new multi-storey car park at the hospital and take up places meant for those with appointments and visitors.

S Cunningham, Newborough Street, York.