I believe the original proposal for the Roman Quarter was for eleven stories (Roman Quarter development will be ‘blot on the landscape’, Letters, February 22). Whoever moved into the top penthouse suites would have the best views possible - at the cost of everyone else. It’s too high was the overwhelming shout, just knock it down one floor.

Buildings are getting taller. Property developers are pushing higher. And the artist’s impression always makes use of deceptive angles of perspective to hide the impact of the height.

A nearby building will be in the foreground, at a glance its hight is similar. In this case four and a half stories or so of the Aviva building are visible, the top neatly converging with the ‘Roman Quarter’ which is over twice as high. It’s far edge lines up nearly, or even below that of the seven story building behind, not long ago one of the largest in York.

The carrot always is money. The developers want more, as much as they can get, the council wants more, think of the council tax income for instance, and the deal is done.

Duncan McEvoy, Swinerton Avenue, York

 

I agree Roman Quarter buildings are too high

I would have to agree with Sarah Sheils about the buildings in the Roman Quarter being too high (Letters, February 22). But to say citizens in the past took care of what we had is a tad out. The citizens, or council, destroyed a lot of the city centre in the 1920s and ‘30s to accommodate the motor car. Now they want to get rid of the car but build multi storey car parks?

It was also interesting to see the picture of a new look Tanners Moat, I hadn’t seen that idea before, it looks good but hardly the Roman Quarter, just near it.

Dave Matthewman, Green Lane, Acomb