I ATTENDED the opening of the Coppergate II inquiry as an interested citizen of York with no link to any party, and observed something very disturbing, even in the procedural discussions.

As I understand it, a programme of the order of witnesses was issued in advance on which all parties had based their arrangements to examine these people.

But at a very late stage the programme was changed, with a crucial witness for Ravenseft Properties to appear much earlier than scheduled.

This would give objectors to Coppergate II much less time to organise their cross-examination of this witness, and could make it impossible for some participants, who had based their arrangements on the original timetable, to attend at all - particularly if they were employees rather than self-employed professionals.

I expected the inspector holding the inquiry to do something about this, because it was crucial to an inquiry which all parties should have had a full opportunity to make their own case and examine the opposing case.

I was appalled when he simply washed his hands of the matter, saying he hadn't seen the revised timetable (why not?) and that parties had the right to call their witnesses in any order.

That may have been so, but the issue was not that particular 'right'. It was the right of parties to rely on information they had been given with the authority of the inquiry.

If the inspector refuses even to take responsibility for the information his department provides, with the result that one side gains an advantage over the other, then the outlook is already poor for a fair and impartial inquiry into Coppergate II.

John Heawood,

Eastward Avenue,

Fulford, York.

...SO, we need Coppergate II because retailers at Monks Cross would prefer to be in the city centre but there isn't enough large shop space.

Does this mean that when Shoppergate is built there will be a mass exodus from Monks Cross, leaving it like a ghost town?

I can't see any difference between Boots, for example, at Monks Cross and Boots in town. And hasn't a well known retail group just moved its stores together, therefore using smaller spaces?

People I talk to like shopping in York because it's different to every other town or city high street.

No doubt someone once said the Ryedale Building was necessary for the economic future of York.

Andrew Tessier,

Rose Street, York.

Updated: 10:39 Thursday, January 17, 2002