YORK needs more offices like the Sahara Desert needs more sand, yet City of York Council continues to call for more office space.

If there was a genuine demand, landlords would be upgrading and adapting the enormous stock of empty office accommodation to secure tenants.

Instead property owners are queuing up to convert long-term empty offices into residential use.

The proposed conversion of Hudson House into 115 flats is the latest of many such projects, but The Press article of November 13 does not explain why so many of these schemes are happening now.

It is because there is a temporary permitted development change of use under the Planning Acts, whereby the council can only consider issues of flooding, highways, transport and contamination.

If these are acceptable, approval must be granted without the blackmail demands of social housing or huge financial contributions.

These projects would be non-starters if the affordable housing policies and Section 106 obligations were applied to them. The upsurge in office conversions at a time when newly built homes are rare offers more undeniable proof that the lack of new residential building is a direct consequence of negative planning policies and nothing to do with bank funding or any of the other excuses put forward by those responsible.

Matthew Laverack, Architect of this Parish, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York.