I HOPE the people who support the construction of a new Durham county council county hall near the site of the former ice rink in Durham do not forget the fact that more than 3,000 people were accommodated on the site.

First of all, the ice hockey matches took place on a Sunday evening, the quietest day of the week in respect of traffic congestion.

The greatest part of the crowd walked towards the market place, either like myself to return to cars left in the city or to continue to the bus station.

The last time the county council built its offices inside the city was when it built the shire hall. It destroyed the lines of one of the finest of streets, namely Old Elvet.

If the council must have its petulant, egotistical way and build in the city then let it build on Palace Green.

This would have one great advantage in that it would allow councillors before each meeting to nip into the cathedral and ask forgiveness for having vandalised one of the finest medieval cities in Europe over the years.

Ken Wilson, Washington