IT was quite ironic to hear MP Rachael Maskell speak of “development stagnation” and “hurting the local economy”, but I can’t decide if this is a lack of research of her local colleagues in York Labour Party who ran the council until 2015.

York Conservatives have always been conscious of local need, particularly for first time buyers, key workers and the difficulties faced by those in the social and rented sector.

In 2012, I and others in the Conservative group proposed a motion at full council aimed specifically to stimulate development on brownfield sites.

This motion was blocked by the Labour administration who subsequently continued to ignore our pleas and those from respected local builders.

Pathetic building statistics which they tried to mask with student flat numbers would suggest previous policies certainly contributed to harming aims for more affordable housing and quite possibly for the demise of some local housebuilding firms.

This was highlighted when intransigence over affordable housing percentages saw the Labour administration lose a legal case over the former Grain Stores site in Clifton.

The result being not one single “affordable” home will be built on this site when the developer had previously offered 30.

Cllr Paul Doughty, Conservative, Strensall ward, York