I feel that I must defend Hudson House, against your editorial in The Press (Flats design is wasted chance, August 16). The building received a Civic Trust Award that must reflect at least some degree of merit in its design.

The design had to fit certain criteria, one of which was that the building must not dominate the Bar Walls when viewed from Queen Street, hence the blocks being of two different heights. The blocks nearest the walls were four storeys high, whilst that on Toft Green and the southern block had two additional floors. The colour of the cladding also had to complement the stone of the Bar Walls. Hudson House was the new technical office for engineering departments for the Eastern Region. The idea of having four blocks was to maximize natural light: the drawing boards would be arranged at right angles to the windows. Admittedly the building was showing its age.

The proposed new development appears not to show any consideration to the surrounding environment and seems to dominate the walls. I do agree with your editorial the new development is ill conceived.

Just a few minor corrections to your article on the Hudson House site (Demolition almost finished at offices site, August 16). The Old Station was in fact the second station: the first, albeit temporary, was at the side of the building now used by Eurocar. The present station was built by the North Eastern Railway formed in 1854 and not the York and North Midland. And lastly, Hudson House was formally opened on November 7, 1968.

Tim Short,

Chestnut Grove,

Acomb, York

York badly needs to clean up its act

Whilst rejoicing that York was named best place to live in the UK in the Sunday Times earlier this year and then, in relatively short order, came top of the pops as the UK’s best-loved city in a YouGov poll (York voted UK’s best-loved city. August 22) I admit to being somewhat taken by surprise.

Recent Press reports and letters have highlighted York’s more unseemly side such as weekend “no-go areas” in the city centre and a generally dirty and unkempt appearance.

Then there’s the eye-watering, and possibly occasionally mouth-watering, increase in eateries and “feeding stations” which seem now to occupy almost every other premises in town.

To top all this, once-favoured thoroughfares such as Coney Street now number amongst the more forlorn parts of the city. Coney Street is so neglected and sad compared with its heyday when I was a child in the 1940s and early ‘50s.

As one of that threatened species, a “true Yorkie” born and bred in this city, I have to admit that I avoid central York if at all possible, certainly in the evenings and increasingly even during daylight hours and not just when there are added reasons for giving it a wide berth such as race days.

A few years back there was an attempt to gain for York World Heritage Site status. I don’t know what the rules are governing how long an applicant has to wait to bid again after an unsuccessful attempt to secure this prestigious accolade and recognition, but if any city worthies do decide to have another go they must first ensure York cleans up its act.

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York