Illogical policies (From York Press)

Illogical policies

9:30am Wednesday 17th October 2012 in Letters By Reader's letter

THE Press of October 13 carried two stories about flats in York. The White Swan is, hopefully, to be refurbished at last and the Lawrance apartments in Micklegate have been completed recently.

In both cases there are exactly 14 dwellings – no mere coincidence, but the product of illogical affordable housing policies which continue to damage housebuilding. By limiting the number of units to 14, they can all be sold or rented on the open market. If the designers made more efficient use of the buildings and incorporated 15 or more dwellings, they would be forced to hand over a quarter of them at less than cost price to a registered social landlord.

Little wonder then that York housebuilders are a rare breed and when they are spotted they are usually working on schemes of 14 dwellings or fewer.

Matthew Laverack, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York.