I WAS outraged if not surprised at the stance taken by British Sugar over the building of affordable homes on its site (The Press, October 25).

The local plan has targeted 20 per cent of housing on sites like this to be affordable and this in itself is a small enough number considering there are people now and into the future who will struggle to buy or rent houses at the market rate.

Housing - mainly flats - is being built in the city centre which will be out of reach for people earning an average income in York.

Sites like York Central are in danger of becoming magnets for people investing in second homes and holiday homes with no or little affordable housing.

Infrastructure and open space is needed for people living on these sites.

The pressure on services and roads in York is already near breaking point without the thousands more houses that will have minimal benefit for people of York.

Profit should not be the overriding factor and the arrogance of landowners and developers should be fought by the council and the people of York.

Lyn Langford, Beech Avenue, York