The Barbican redevelopment, plans for which have now been released, is a rare chance to improve York's inner city.

However, I am concerned that the city council supports the community pool which has lots of disadvantages.

Only the county pool will allow school, lesson and fitness sessions to be scheduled at the same time as open swims and it will increase the swimming space.

Less than what we have at the moment - the community pool - is unacceptable, especially if redevelopment increases demand.

Upstairs, the lack of separate crche and soft-play facilities in the sports plans can be overcome by a more imaginative layout - the area available for rooms is the same in both proposals.

Moreover, I currently enjoy the upper viewing facility during swimming lessons, which I could not do with the community plans.

Both plans incorporate unisex changing facilities with cubicles. I should like to see a mix of open-plan and cubicles in one-sex changing rooms.

At least the county pool has two separate showers. Given that both plans seem to have dry and wet changing facilities together and that the poor cleanliness of the present Barbican facilities drives some people to the Edmond Wilson pool with its separate shoe-removal area, I reject both of the changing plans as ill-conceived.

I support the sports pool - even though it costs more - but both plans need fine-tuning.

York should ask the council to take our new swimming facilities back to the drawing board before the final decision.

Katharine Timberlake,

Westwood Terrace,

South Bank,

York.

...I AM extremely concerned about the very short consultation period being offered by Coun Orrell for the "new" Barbican plans.

This is the time of year when many people are on holiday and will not be able to have their say.

If Coun Orrell and Coun Galloway truly believe in democratic consultation then a city wide consultation should be held.

It seems the only concern that Coun Galloway has is of fitting as many flats into the site to fulfil York's housing needs. We need houses not flats across the city.

Remember the last time this country went down the road of flats?

If the consultation is not extended then I have fears.

Once this city had a diving club, of which I was a member, then rules changed, accidents happened and the pool was closed.

Could it be that if we do not have a county standard pool that in years to come we will be saying "do you remember when we had a city swimming team"?

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing,

Opposition spokesperson for

planning & transport,

Carnot Street,

York.

...YORK residents need a community not a county pool at the Barbican.

Really, we need exactly what we have already got, and really value, there - a great gym, fantastic creche, wonderful caf with lots of space for children, soft- play area to keep us sane in winter, and a perfectly adequate pool which has the great advantage over other pools in York of being reliably open when we need it.

Recently my husband had an unexpected day off work and we wanted to take the opportunity of going swimming as a family -- we have a three and a half year-old and an 18 month old and only the Barbican pool was open.

Edmund Wilson pool had school lessons all morning and the dreaded Waterworld (which only opens when it can guarantee it will be heaving) was shut until the weekend.

Elizabeth Withyman,

Richardson Street,

York.

Updated: 10:58 Monday, July 21, 2003