I WRITE to express my utter dismay that anyone should wish to build on Piccadilly Gardens.

As a founder governor and chairman of the Royal Albert School for many years, it was a pleasure for me to help with youngsters who now work there, go out into the community to make a contribution to their living and to do something that helped them to be independent.

Over the years I have watched them grow into good young people living in the community while working at Piccadilly.

Piccadilly pays its way and has given all these young people an independent life of their own.

How can building on this site be justified when planners turned down a project not far from Piccadilly which would have given us a by-pass to the A6 and made Ashford Road safe.

I really do think that the powers that be should again be looking at the original project which was turned down. I shall of course be contacting John Prescott myself.

Cllr Janet Horner, Lancaster.