I attended the recent York Central consultation exercise at the National Railway Museum. I did, at least, expect it to be held in a room where the residents of our city would be able to study and comment, not in an area where visitors from all over the world could air their views and have them taken into consideration on equal terms as our residents.

I read in The Press (“Key decision on future of York Central”, August 1) that the leader and deputy leader of the council are to be given a few days to study a 300-page document and will then be asked to endorse it, even though it might allow poor quality development, on the grounds that to delay it would put funding for the project at risk.

We have been dreaming for many years of what should and could be done with this land and yet here we are asking councillors to read these papers and pass judgement in less than a week.We have heard this pathetic argument used on other cases: Clifford’s Tower springs to mind without having to think hard.

I would urge the councillors to slow down and think very hard indeed about this particular development and not succumb to these veiled threats to our

democracy.

Brian Watson,

Beckfield Lane, York