YORK is fighting to cope with the rising tide of homelessness, partly caused by soaring property prices.

Land has reached more than a million pounds an acre in the city centre (June 18).

But what gives land these values? Location, of course. But planning permission also creates this value. In particular, the restrictions on the supply of building land, caused by Green Belt policies, are forcing prices even higher in York. It is a stealth tax on those who do not own property. It is a stealth gift to property owners.

On the edge of York agricultural land is valued at a few thousand pounds an acre. With planning permission this can become 100 times as much. Planning permission on, say, a 50-acre plot is a stealth gift of tens of millions of pounds.

Stealth gifts of this size should be carefully considered. But I get the impression that the city planners are keen to restrict discussion in the Local Plan Inquiry of one stealth gift of this size - York University's Campus 3.

I believe the university is worried about the outcome of any environmental impact assessment of Campus 3. Getting it through the Local Plan Inquiry first would, naturally, diminish the significance of any such assessment.

I have concerns about the environmental sustainability of Campus 3 because it will not be easily accessible by public transport.

That's okay for students on bicycles who live on, or near, the campus but not for a business park with a university label.

I had been hoping to test some of these matters at the Local Plan Public Inquiry but despite a letter from the previous director of planning, John Rigby, registering me as an objector, the council is denying me the right to present evidence on this subject.

Geoff Beacon,

Belle Vue Street, York.

...IF you have a spare million then you can buy a hole in York, a development hole that is, but you will have to hurry because there are not many left.

The upwardly-mobile young are pushing prices in York sky high with their demand for city centre flats. Whether they will find themselves quite so mobile in their new flat when there has been no infrastructure boom to match the development boom York has experienced in the last ten years is debatable.

There is a dual carriageway road for those young people who wish to go west, but should they wish to travel to any other point of the compass they will find only congested, single-carriage roads. Alternatively, should they want to travel around York then they will find the sole infrastructure development has been roundabouts. They will also find that the single carriageway half of York's ring road acts as a supplementary park and ride site during the rush hours.

At least they will have an easy walk to the station to catch a train. While waiting for a delayed one, they will have time to contemplate their new city centre mobility status.

Richard Lamb,

Greystoke Road,

Rawcliffe, York.

Updated: 11:36 Saturday, June 23, 2001