Bishy Road in York – ‘Save our shops before it’s too late’

SO, Bishopthorpe Road footfall is down, drivers are driving longer distances to choose free parking at out-of-town supermarkets, local traders are ‘on a knife edge’.

All these outcomes were predicted when the council hiked parking charges.

And when our well-loved community street of shops puts up its shutters and closes down, the seventy per cent of us who walk to our local shops will have to get into our cars and drive to a supermarket.

How much is the formal review of Bishopthorpe Road parking charge hikes going to cost?

Why was it not sufficient to listen to the outcry from local traders and residents when the parking charges were introduced?

The council should be protecting and helping local businesses, not destroying them. To reduce traffic congestion in the city there must first be improvements in bus services. This has not yet happened.

Local businesses help the local economy and plough money back into the community. Good local shops are a pleasure to use and increase the quality of life. Supermarkets are convenient but impersonal and their profits do not benefit the local area.

Save our local shops before it is too late.

Sue Norton,

Wentworth Rd,

York

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In need of help at York Railway Station

ON Wednesday, January 14, my sister and I returned to York station from the Grand Opera House and could not find our Knaresborough train listed on the board although the next (last train) was listed.

We were in good time and wandered around a deserted concourse to find no one to ask. After a long time we found a boy who got a list up on his modern phone (being 77 we don’t have iPhones).

He said our train was running and it was Platform 8.

We caught this train by the skin of our teeth.

Why in the modern day and age is there no member of railway staff on duty to point travellers to the right platform in case the board fails as in this case?

Our train was the Leeds train leaving York at 10.11pm.

A E Bowman,

Knaresborough

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Patience is best show on the box – and great ad!

I HAVE just watched the first few episodes of the the much anticipated detective series set in York, Patience.

It is a crime drama filled with twists and turns, the whole storyline is so enthralling you simply can’t look away.

But with the views of York from so many different and unusual, never seen before angles, it’s just so intense.

I would happily watch the street views and aerial shots, and watch the police detection as two separate programmes.

An excellent programme and definitely the best programme in my opinion on TV at this present time.

And a fantastic advertisement for the city.

D M Deamer

Penleys Grove Street

Monkgate

York

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Quite a trip!

I WAS interested to read that York City Ladies are to make a 2350 mile trip to play football in Chatham. I would have used Google maps to plot my journey as it must be close to Moscow!

R.I.Shenton,

Connaught Way,

Huntington,

York