IN REPLY to Neil Cussons ('Don't turn York into a yuppies-only city', Letters June 3) I should like to refute accusations that City of York Council has either "builder friends" or "are running the city... with their obsession with business at the expense of York people" and "driving out native Yorkies".

As someone who was born and educated in the city, I take great umbrage at such comments.

I, along with others, have no wish to drive anyone out of York; neither can we afford the properties mentioned ourselves.

Property prices are a national problem resulting from the push to a capitalist society by Thatcherite policy during the 1980s when social housing was discouraged.

More importantly, council planning policy is guided mainly by national policy, where the planning committee has to prove legally "good reason" why a development cannot take place.

This process at a local level is non-political as no group policy can be taken on planning.

However, what policy the Labour-controlled council can influence has enabled us to ask for a number of affordable properties, to rent and buy, in each new development to ensure that York residents will have somewhere to live in the future.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing,

Spokesperson for Planning and Transport, City of York Council,

Carnot Street,

York.

Updated: 10:42 Thursday, June 06, 2002