UNBELIEVABLE - yet another proposed hotel at Leeman Road. York is sprouting hotels faster than charity shops! Is the council hell bent on driving all the guest houses out of business; seven or more have now closed in our area alone?

The council seems to want to change the very character that tourists come to York for: the history and the ancient buildings.

The process of driving out the small businessman has spread from the corner shop and post office to the hotel trade. Multi-national companies are gradually taking over York.

Every visit to the city sees more empty premises and the mushrooming of characterless hotels which are destroying the appearance of York.

The council must be rubbing their hands at the thought of those massive business rates but for every hotel built they lose the equivalent in small, friendly, personally-supervised guest houses.

Kristine and Brian Livingstone,

St George's Hotel,

St George's Place, York.