ONE year after the Lib Dems took control of City of York Council - largely because York people rallied against the previous Labour administration's desire to tear York apart with overdevelopment schemes - we appear to have the same arrogant, unaccountable, concrete-and-build, money-wasting circus as before, albeit with a different ringmaster.

To treat the objections of 6,000 people with utter contempt as the council have done on the proposed Barbican development; to push through the plans for what could be the greatest environmental disaster in living memory in York - the destruction of 50 acres of wildlife meadows at Osbaldwick - and to press on with greenfield devastationat Heslington and Fulford shows councillors represent the views of nobody but themselves.

Councillors should realise that we, as council taxpayers, "own" the council including land and buildings such as the Barbican. If they are going to ignore the views of the people we can justifiably ignore their taxation demands on the grounds of "no representation, no taxation".

If other readers feel a sense of betrayal by the council I suggest they flood this letters page with messages of no confidence in the council.

Meanwhile, as many people as possible should attend the public meeting tomorrow at Osbaldwick School to oppose the proposed "Disasterthorpe" development.

M Warters,

Yew Tree Mews,

Osbaldwick Village, York.

Updated: 09:57 Friday, April 30, 2004