YOU recently published Coun D’Agorne’s letter which blew raspberries at the positive contributions to debate made by both Mr Carter and myself about a possible shared council HQ and stadium development (Readers’ Letters, April 21).

He included a total irrelevance to that discussion, which he, entirely erroneously, attributed to me.

He raised the hoary chestnut of dualling the A1237. This is the policy of a peripheral (NOT city centre) Conservative candidate, but is not shared by me: I am a Liberal Party member.

The dislocation that this would cause is matched only by the stated cost, which is similar to North Yorkshire Police’s annual budget.

Arguably, the A1237 is in the wrong place, south of Haxby, so rush-hour traffic both heading into York and using the A1237 competes by driving south, towards York in the morning, and from the ring-road in the evening.

Better to build an entirely new road, to the north, relieving traffic flow on the former trunk section of the A1237, east of Rawcliffe.

It might variously contribute positively to York’s economy, help the building trade, provide employment and underwrite the expansionist tendencies of York’s strategic leadership.

They were widely expressed by members of York’s business community who attended a Without Walls soiree held at the York Moathouse Hotel, about two years ago … led by the council’s chief strategist!

Nick Blitz, South Lane, Haxby, York.



• ANYONE who knows Nick Blitz recognises his enquiring mind.

He asks difficult questions, to tease out properly constructed arguments and analysis.

Precisely the probing mentality York needs from opposition councillors doing their job properly, by holding the executive to account (Readers’ Letters, April 18).

Councillors can challenge executive decisions in scrutiny committees, but the panel considering this HQ topic seems little more than a “nodding donkey”, happily yielding to the Lib Dem’s witless desperation.

Andy D’Agorne attacked the suggested stadium alternative which was never considered by the council, before offering his own untested preference for a central location.

He wrote nothing contradicting arguments favouring a peripheral site … before maladroitly raising the Tory political kite: dualling the A1237.

What longer term benefits come from buying buildings which lack the synergy of housing most of York’s administration under one roof, but exchanges decrepit St Leonard’s offices, for 100-year-old buildings costing tax-payers more than £40 million?

How is it intelligent to reject a purpose-built site at under that price, reflecting higher building industry prices of three to five years ago, but then spend more, on an inferior project, during a major industrial downturn, which has resulted in lower building tenders now?

Older, buildings attract higher future maintenance costs (a reason to vacate St Leonard’s) , do not meet the council’s stated accommodation needs and will be unavailable for at least three years.

If the economic case for a central site is sound, and the Hungate design met the councils real needs, then build it at York Central. How much would it cost and how long would it take to develop that building on that sustainable “brown-field” site?

Peter Simmons, Garfield Terrace, Leeman Road, York.