IN REPLY to Emma Brown’s letter on Monday regarding Union Terrace, how would anyone react today if they were to have their home, particularly a four-floor period town house in a prime location near the city centre, compulsory purchased for a pittance?

In 1969, this was the first phase of demolition which would involve literally thousands of other houses across the city (including Gillygate, Scarcroft Road, the Mount and Clifton) to make way for a six-lane motorway inner ring road encircling the city walls.

The campaign to stop the motorway was successful, but too late to save our homes. It is now ironic that people are campaigning to save a car park which only came to be because the council had an area of unused wasteland on its hands after an insane plan for a ring road was defeated.

We who lived in Union Terrace lost our homes for nothing. We all know this land is far too valuable to the council to be left as a car park. Location, location, location.

After all this time I still feel angry, whatever the outcome may be.

Paul Symons, Nevis Way, York (on behalf of his mother, Mrs M Symons, who now lives in a council house in York).

• COUN James Alexander is trying to muddy the waters about the extraordinary meeting of the council to avoid taking the blame for his astonishing lack of judgment.

He understands very well what this meeting is about – the Liberal Democrat proposal is simply for the council to withdraw from his plan to sell Union Terrace to York St John University.

If Union Terrace is to be sold in due course, this matter should only be brought back when any proposals have been properly researched and a thorough assessment of the impact of any changes on the area, our city and its economy has been made. Most importantly, residents, businesses, councillors and everybody who is affected must have a chance to express their views. And any sale must be dealt with in an open way.

Threatening to call a cabinet meeting immediately after council clearly implies that the sale will go ahead, regardless of what the people of York think. This tells us everything about Coun Alexander’s promise to listen to residents and how he will run the democratic process in future.

If sense prevails, the promised cabinet meeting will instead decide to withdraw from the current plan to sell off this vital asset.

Coun Carol Runciman, Liberal Democrat group leader, Earswick, York.

• WITH reference to the ongoing saga, Union Terrace car park, in particular coach parking, it would seem illogical to remove this facility and replace it with an extension of York St John University, considering recently a new drop-in centre for the disadvantaged has been established, which to all intents and purposes is mainly used at night as a refuge and will not cause any distraction to visitors.

Considering coach travel reduces the amount of motor cars, is it not feasible to retain this car park as a drop-off and pick-up point, with a coach park outside the perimeter for long stay?

There has been much progress made in recent times to finding a solution to reducing traffic within the inner sanctum of our visitor attractions, with the introduction of bendy buses, alongside Park&Ride, and also the road train transporting visitors to and from the railway museum, reducing numbers of vehicles without losing valuable income from prospective visitors.

To achieve momentum in attracting tourists by road or rail, the ‘tear drop’ site is ideally situated to meet the criteria.

Kenneth Bowker, Vesper Walk, Huntington, York.

• HOW I agree with John Jones’ letter (The Press, July 13). How could this Labour council even dream of selling off Union Terrace car park? Has James Alexander really thought this hare-brained idea through? I think not!

Julia M Raven, Melcombe Avenue, Strensall.