How is it that our councillors can never manage to balance the budget yet continue to waste our money?

I stress our councillors and our money because that is the case. This is City of York Council and their job is to work for York and its people, not Westminster or Brussels, which means they must use initiative.

I live in Clementhorpe, where we have recently been confronted by workmen installing knobbly dropped kerbs at every break in the footpath.

They are coming on like a rash, despite the fact that most kerbs were already dropped, albeit not of the fancy, knobbly variety (which, by the way, are uncomfortable for most people).

In fact, at the lower end of the street - a cul-de-sac - they even installed one on the piece of path that leads to our private car park, and I know for certain no one has need of it.

As if this were not enough of a waste, they chose to have them installed over the weekend, when they no doubt have to pay overtime. Nothing to do with urgency either, as, come Monday, with the job only half complete not a workman in sight, just the mess they had left behind. Waiting for next weekend, perhaps?

D Taylor, Low Darnborough Street, Clementhorpe, York.

  • HERE we go again! Road works everywhere. Guess what - coming up to the end of the financial year. York councillors could not plan a budget if they tried.

R Hudson, Westfield Place, Acomb, York.

A council spokeswoman said: "Following requests from residents, a survey of the Clementhorpe area was undertaken to look at bringing the footways up to compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

"The survey found that work was required in order that blind and partially sighted persons have a safe place where they can cross the highway, and where wheelchair users could safely negotiate the kerbs at each side of the junctions.

"At these crossing points tactile paving' is used so that people whose vision is impaired can feel the raised areas under their feet and know that they have a safe place to cross the road or footway.

"These type of crossing points have been installed in many locations city wide and will continue to be constructed as funding becomes available."