SO Labour’s Local Plan is finally unveiled (The Press, September 13) with the proposed urban sprawl into the city’s green belt.

This development plan sadly reflects the countrywide situation. Up and down the country, local authorities proclaim the need for development, citing housing shortages and supply and demand of housing being out of balance. Yet they ignore the rightful indignation of the resident population aghast at seeing their environment destroyed, and keep pedalling the lie that the country needs all this housing.

It would be far better to rebalance the housing market by cutting the demand side rather than increasing supply. Unfortunately, the UK role within the EU seems to be to act as a refugee camp for a stream of incoming migration.

The situation in Calais has once again been in the spotlight. Why do these people feel the need to cross through other EU countries to come to the UK? It is certainly not the weather. Leaving aside the generous benefits on offer to international and EU migrants, the other main attraction in the UK is the willingness of politicians to cover the country in concrete to accommodate them.

Cllr Mark Warters, Independent, Osbaldwick Ward, City of York Council.