An alleged risk of losing funding and a need to resubmit planning applications if Leeman Road is not allowed to be diverted should be seen as a blessing if it puts a stop to the fundamentally flawed York Central master plan.

The whole scheme needs to be looked at afresh because it is based on a false premise that massive office space will make it viable. It won’t.

If the Covid crisis has taught us anything it is that working from home is viable and the purported future demand for office space, which was never justified anyway, is now dead in the water.

On top of which, of course, the current scheme does not enjoy universal support and many citizens remain vehemently opposed to the proposals.

I hope the inspector does us all a favour and refuses the road closure.

If he doesn’t then I hope the Secretary of State rejects his recommendation just like Anthony Crossland rejected a planning inspectors recommendation fifty years ago that Gillygate should be bulldozed.

Matthew Laverack, Laverack Associates Architects, Lord Mayors Walk, York

Claiming York Central's at risk over Leeman Road is 'utter twaddle'

I refer to the article in the Press reporting that the York Central development could be at risk if Leeman Road isn’t closed (York Central cash risk if road closure halted, May 12).

This is utter twaddle.

At the public inquiry the applicants themselves were forced to admit that 90 per cent of York Central could proceed without the closure of Leeman Road.

If the stopping up order is rejected, it is down to the York Central Partnership failing to take into account the views of residents, adopting a belligerent approach to objectors and going into the inquiry unprepared.

An example is the farcical walkways agreement through the NRM, to replace pedestrian access down Leeman Road, which they put forward at the 11th hour.

Paul Clarke, St. Peter’s Quarter, York