HOW can City of York Council justify giving planning permission for the proposed Monk’s Cross extension? It is obviously going to take trade away from existing shops. The net number of new jobs produced will be negligible, and look what happened to Sheffield city centre when Meadowhall was built.

As far as I can see, the only reason it is being considered at all is to support York City.

I understand that a good gate for York City at Bootham Crescent is about 2,500, which represents less than two in 100 of York’s population. The number of paying customers is likely to be even smaller if its ground is moved out of the centre. How can it possibly balance its books? I would be most interested to see a business plan.

I don’t want my hard-earned money being used to prop up a failing business: a club that is losing money now and is likely to require subsidising by council tax payers for ever more.

Colin Richardson, Hobgate, York.