AS someone who is actively engaged in promoting the use of the waterways in and around York by leisure craft, I am delighted that, at last, there is a plan to open up Museum Gardens to the riverside, and hence a dramatic improvement in access to the River Ouse and a huge improvement in the look of the whole area.

On the face of it the restaurant proposal adds to this (March 29).

However, having been involved in the slow process of getting improved facilities for boaters in York, and at last getting some progress in that British Waterways have installed a standpipe by the existing toilet block, then removal of the toilet block itself is a backward step.

Please can we have co-operation and joined-up thinking with the development of York and the riverside in particular? This piecemeal approach is only going to make matters worse.

I would be agreeable to the restaurant proposal, if British Waterways and York council went ahead with building a proper facility for boaters on Foss Island by the Castle Mill Lock, which has showers, toilets and pump-out facilities along with overnight moorings that can be used for a couple of days.

Ripon has already got an extremely good facility; why can't we have the same in York!

Anthony Martin,

Clarence Street,

York.

Updated: 09:57 Monday, April 03, 2006