AS expected, planning permission has been granted for the development of the St Joseph’s Convent site, probably because the council doesn’t have grounds for refusal.

However, it will be interesting to see whether all the student blocks in Lawrence Street, Hull Road and Walmgate turn out to be fully occupied.

Not all students wish to live in large blocks of rooms or studio flats, hence the demand for houses to share, where students can try to recreate the atmosphere of home.

To a disproportionate extent the large blocks are likely to be the choice for overseas students having to make arrangements from afar and in a foreign language.

The commercial developers of this kind of accommodation must be confident about the overseas student market in York, which in recent years has been strong.

However, things do change. It is now about six years since a Chinese academic told me he thought it would take about ten years for Chinese universities to expand and be able to educate most of their students internally.

The situation may be similar in other countries.

No doubt the university has good information and is able to make demand projections when planning the amount of accommodation it builds on its own land.

Private developers tend to be more speculative.

One could say that it is the function of the private sector to take the risk of under-occupancy.

Unfortunately, where housing is concerned, there is a community impact involved.

Caroline Mozley, Blakeney Place, York.