THIS is one of the safest cities in the UK and one of the most desirable places to live. But that comes at a price.

Now a report names York as one of the country’s least affordable cities in which to buy a house. There are other reasons than desirability, though, and the main one is a lack of housing. Housing Minister Kris Hopkins says he’s sure developers will now start to build more homes as a result of increased demand and we hope he is right. But to make any real difference, a renewed effort is required from both the public and private sector.

And that needs to start now.