FOLLOWING your report (“Costly place to live,” The Press, January 2) from the Land Registry proving that York has the most expensive house prices in the north of England, surely the previous critics of Labour-controlled City of York Council, who have insisted on including what has become known as “affordable housing” in future housing provision, will now eat their words and join in the process of requiring affordable housing to be provided.

The Land Registry proves that it costs 78 per cent more on average to buy a house in York than in South Yorkshire; 68.5 per cent more then in West Yorkshire; 41.5 per cent more than in East Yorkshire and 7.7 per cent more to buy a house in York than in the rest of North Yorkshire.

Can it be right (economically or morally) that current citizens of York (or indeed prospective citizens of York) should have to pay around £13,152 more, on average, for a house than citizens in the rest of North Yorkshire, especially when you consider that quite a large percentage of York citizens are employed on either the minimum wage or just above that level?

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York.