CONVICTED drug dealers should not expect to be rehoused by City of York Council when they have served their sentences, a senior councillor has revealed.

Ruth Potter, executive member for housing, told a full council meeting that arrangements were being made to bar convicted dealers from applying for authority housing for at least three years.

Responding to a question from Liberal Democrat councillor Sue Galloway, Coun Potter said amendments to the applications policy were set to be discussed at an executive housing committee meeting tomorrow.

"One of the sections will say that if you have been convicted due to drug dealing, or harassment that involved drug dealing, you will not be offered a home for at least three years."

Exceptional cases and applications will have to pass the test of multiple agencies before any housing tenancy is granted to a dealer.

But the bar will not apply to those seeking to live with others - for example a girlfriend or parents - who are already tenants.

Coun Potter told the Evening Press that another planned change was to bring in "introductory tenancies" for all new tenants.

During their first 12 months in accommodation, they would be checked for antisocial behaviour and rent arrears before then being granted secure tenancies.

Meanwhile, Coun Galloway has praised the Evening Press-backed Ratcatcher campaign, which "identified some of those responsible for drug and other antisocial offences in the city."

Later, councillors declared that proposals for North Yorkshire Police Authority expenditure - which could result in a doubling of the precept - were "unfair given the background of inadequate central government financial support grants for the Police Authority".

The police authority has announced plans to increase the council tax precept, and aims to hold a series of roadshows to explain its actions.

A motion from councillors has instructed chief executive David Atkinson to write to the authority's chairman expressing their concerns.

The letter will also ask that any above-inflation increase should be clearly linked to agreed performance indicator targets, "with success being judged by reducing crime levels in the city and county".

Updated: 12:10 Wednesday, January 15, 2003