WE SHOULD not have a housing crisis in York; we do not need to build on and lose forever green fields or battlefields.

We do, however, need politicians with courage and vision. Universities should be required to house more students on campus. This would gradually release thousands of family houses on to the market, stabilising house prices in York and making houses more affordable.

Currently all these much-needed properties are used as transit camps for students who have no incentive to look after them and don’t contribute towards York’s council services, being subsidised by those of us who do. Next review the income tax rules.

Anyone rising at dawn to do a full shift in a factory or other employment should not pay the same tax as a landlord sitting at home waiting for rental income to trickle into their bank account.

What do landlords do for society? Gradual changes should be made to increase the tax contribution from all rents until earning a ‘living’ from other peoples’ inability to purchase property is no longer attractive.

Actions such as these would give local working people a fighting chance of owning their own home.

J Langton, Osbaldwick, York.

 

• KATHLEEN PEPPER (Letters, January 21) raises the question of student lets and links these with the lack of affordable homes – the situation is not so simple.

When the University of York East Campus public inquiry took place the council’s then opposition Labour group raised objection to the lack of on-site accommodation, but this was rejected by the national planning inspector.

With regard to expansion planning law is quasi-judicial and applications have to be based on law – under law there was no reason to reject expansion.

With regard to housing stock the Labour council has introduced Article 4 which sets a limit of houses of multiple occupation in any one area. Since the policy’s introduction there have been reduced applications to convert, but the council is not the final decision maker.

Where the council has refused, applicants have appealed to the national planning inspector and decisions made in York have been overturned. The council can legally neither stop the universities expanding student numbers nor students living off campus.

Finally I would note the positives of the city’s education institutions – direct and indirect employment – which provide jobs for thousands of York residents.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Deputy Leader of City of York Council, Cabinet member for health, housing and adult social service.