I WRITE in reply to a letter from Mrs P Brown (The Press, June 22).

She is right to be concerned about the increasing use of green belt and agricultural land for housing.

Fifty years ago, I lived in Haxby when it was a real village, surrounded by fields and farms.

Now it is just a suburb.

She is right to worry that building yet more houses would tempt even more people to York.

Many would like to flee from violent crime ridden inner cities.

Mrs Brown quoted Dr Scott Marmion who has pointed out that to relieve the demand for housing we should attempt to limit population rise.

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that last year the population grew by 568,000 – mainly due to immigration.

There are now over 65 million of us on our small island – and that does not include the many thousands who are here illegally.

This is not sustainable. It is a dereliction of duty by successive governments to allow this massive influx, placing huge strains on services and resources.

This will, I fear, eventually lead to social unrest.

Carole Tucker, Highgate, London