Come along and help mark pool milestone

ON Saturday (September 23) New Earswick Swimming Club is holding a reunion at the Friends Meeting House in New Earswick (next to the pool) from 1pm to 4pm to celebrate its 50th anniversary and all the successes and members who have used this exceptional local community facility over the years.

This is an opportunity to come along and look at years gone by, find out who attended the club, and reminisce about events and personalities with the help of various memorabilia in the form of photos, gala programmes and press coverage.

This is a free event, but proceeds from refreshments (coffee, tea and cake!) will go towards the club itself, and to Macmillan Cancer Support.

If anyone has any past photos or memories they would like to share, email membership.nesc@gmail.com

Lucy Stoakes,

New Earswick Swimming Club member,

Shotel Close, York

Little hope for young of affording a home

I AGREE with David O’Brien’s sentiments when it comes to a lack of appropriately-priced housing in York for local people.

Housing on the former Terry’s site is evidently aimed at a different market, with its promotional material highlighting its potential as an investment opportunity.

No doubt for those wanting to escape London with plenty of equity, this sort of development offers a good opportunity to relocate to an attractive city.

Of course a developer has no concern over who purchases property or where they hail from, so long as they buy it.

So the frustration sits with the planning system where we see developments agreed, with little involvement from the local authority and its responsibilities to address housing need, bearing no relation to local affordability.

My fear is things will only get worse as the council continues to get worked over by powerful developer interests, seeking to avoid providing any affordable housing on sizeable developments.

Current efforts by the council barely register a dent in the affordability problem York is experiencing, offering little hope of an affordable home in York to young people in particular.

Cllr Fiona Derbyshire (Labour),

Owlwood Lane, York

Whole city centre is now changing

IT’S NOT just Coney Street with empty shops (It’s all change in top street, Saturday September 16).

Walking into town from Lord Mayors Walk down Goodramgate and Church Street to St Sampson’s square I counted 10 vacant shops, five charity shops and more than 30 places you could receive sustenance.

The whole of York’s city centre is becoming a no-go area for locals to shop and is just catering for tourists, eating out and drinkers.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street, Monkgate, York