OPPONENTS of house-building plans are condemning future York residents to a life of poverty, the city council’s leader has said.

In comments that sparked a backlash from political opponenets, Coun James Alexander said new homes were vital for tackling rising rents and the high cost of living, and said objectors risked turning York into a city solely for the wealthy.

The Labour-run council recently announced plans to build 22,000 new homes in York, including thousands in the green belt.

Coun Alexander said his vision was for a growing economy with more job opportunities and where nobody was left behind.

But he said: “You cannot tackle poverty without tackling the rising cost of living and a large element of this for poorer people is rent.

“Increases in rents are far exceeding minimal increasing of wages because demand is outstripping supply.

“In the absence of legal rent controls, we therefore need to increase the supply of homes to reduce the demand and stem the growth of ever increasing rents.”

He said Labour’s housing plan was bold, and said: “To be against such a plan is to perpetuate ever-increasing rents and house prices beyond affordability for York residents and future generations.

“To be against new homes is to consign more and more York residents and future generation into poverty.”

But Coun George Barton, the council’s deputy Conservative group leader, said: “As usual Labour wrap themselves in the mantle of saviours of the poor and attempt to paint anyone who disagrees with them as not caring about poverty or affordable housing.

“The Conservatives care deeply about the roots of poverty and about affordable housing.

“But we also care deeply about the green belt and we are not prepared to let Labour hand developers cheaper-to-build green belt land on a platter without exploring all options for new growth in York.”

Coun Carol Runciman, Lib Dem group leader, said: “We shouldn’t take lessons from Labour when it comes to house building. Nationally, construction fell when they were in government between 1997 and 2010.

“Since Labour took control of the council from the Lib Dems in 2011, affordable home building has fallen and the housing waiting list has risen.”

She said Labour’s plan to build 1,090 houses a year was unrealistic and not evidence-based and accused Coun Alexander of spin. She said the Lib Dems supported house-building but said targets must be realistic and the green belt protected where possible.