I QUESTION the city council's need to build on land at Metcalfe Lane when according to Bob Towner, director of community services, there are more than 2,000 empty properties in and around the city that need renovation.

Mr Wallington (June 19) urges readers to support a housing development he claims is 'sensibly designed and sensitive to local need'.

This plan allows vehicles from more than 500 homes to pass through residential areas, on to already busy streets and junctions, so this is far from being 'sensible design'. It proposes to build on green-field meadows, in the process removing trees and destroying hedgerows, pond and wildlife habitats.

Mr Wallington continually ignores the fact that this is the last remaining open space available to residents in the Osbaldwick, Tang Hall and Appletree Village areas of the city, while maintaining 'it is sensitive to local need'.

New homes should continue to be built on unused and derelict sites in and around the city including Coppergate II, the old Co-op and Presto supermarket sites in George Hudson Street and the soon to be vacant council depot in Layerthorpe and so on.

Every empty property needs identifying and restoring to habitable use before planners are allowed to embark on grandiose suburban building schemes such as New Osbaldwick.

M Wilson,

Appletree Village, York.