WHEN the draft planning brief for Castle/Piccadilly was approved as a basis for public consultation on Wednesday last, you reported councillors as saying that they "did not want to restrict developers to a set percentage figure" of civic open space.

This has led to some alarm that the council's position on this is somewhat equivocal, and that developers may in the end be allowed to have their wicked way on this issue.

Can I remind readers that at the Without Walls City Conference held on September 24 2003, the leader of the council went on record as stating that: "I think we have clearly reached a point where a decision has been made with regards to the inappropriateness of significant building on the car park site..."

I think any rational being would interpret this as meaning that in essence the concept of a major public open space on the car park site had been accepted by the council.

They must be held to account on this.

Philip Crowe,

Chair, York Tomorrow,

Stonegate,

York.

Updated: 09:30 Wednesday, August 10, 2005