About two years ago David Hockney received a letter from Peter Mandelson in which the artist was asked whether he would consider 'doing something' for the Millennium Dome.

Hockney's reply was serious - 'leave it empty; it will be more spiritual' - but Mr Mandelson evidently didn't appreciate the answer he got for he never responded to it.

But the row going on about the future of Bradford's Provincial House reminded Hockney of the problems surrounding The Dome as well as other museums and galleries both in the UK and in Los Angeles where he now lives.

"The Dome is a classic example. My instincts told me they didn't know what they were doing and it turns out they didn't. There weren't enough people with a clear idea and you have got to have that.

"One of the problems with the Photo-graphic Museum has been in the past where you park. I have had difficulty at times there. I have given up on it actually - that was a couple of years ago.

"Salts Mill works rather well, especially at weekends, because you can park a car there. In a way LA is like that: if you can't park a car, you don't go. One has to look very carefully at how a city works.

"In London it doesn't matter because nobody expects to drive and park everywhere; but in the rest of England it (car parking) is affecting it," he said.

Only yesterday the Telegraph & Argus carried a story about the closure of stationers Tapp and Toothills, closing down after more than a century in central Bradford because of city centre parking problems.

David Hockney said he would prefer to see an art gallery opposite City Hall rather than a pub/caf bar. However, the artist is practical enough to know that a cultural artefact won't necessarily succeed simply because of what it is.

"What's the point of building a central attraction in Bradford if people can't get to it? In Bradford you have to think that out.

"You've got to think of what the future's like as well. For instance, I live in LA and they've built three new museums while I've been living there. The Getty Museum is built on a site where they have an enormous underground car park and you can get there easily.

"They built another museum in downtown LA because the City of Los Angeles wanted one there. But the problem is fewer people go there during the day because that's where the banks and finance offices are. They never thought it out properly.

"What's happening in Bradford? You used to go into Bradford on a bus and go shopping in Darley Street; but now people go to a shopping mall because they go in a car, so it doesn't quite matter where the mall is because it's just as easy to get there if you have a little car than going to Darley Street.

"You cannot make Darley Street work any more unless you think out how people get there. You've got to do things right and think them out."

Problems may arise even when a museum or art gallery proves successful in attracting the public. He cited London's latest gallery, the Tate Modern.

"A lot of people go there, but because it's so successful they have had to employ 50 more guards, so it's costing them a lot of money. The building is spectacular and people will go there for a long time; but it's too crowded.''