I WAS interested to read in The Press two sides to the housing debate.

In the first instance, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing was explaining how her party would sort out the housing crisis in York (The Press, June 14).

However, in the letters page of June 19 there was yet another letter from Matthew Laverack once again shouting loudly for the idiotic housing rules which apply to York to be changed.

I live in a village between York and Selby which has just seen in the last 12 months a development of 58 homes built and sold and a further development of around 13 homes is being carried out.

In Selby itself, there is a huge development of more than 100 homes under construction, mainly because the affordable housing element is far more realistic within the Selby area.

Can these councillors not see what is under their noses? Builders should be paid to build the houses; the affordable element should be for local authorities or government to fund.

I calculate that in my small village there were approaching 80 dwellings constructed within the past two years as opposed to Coun Simpson-Laing’s 19 dwellings.

Why can they not accept how utterly wrong they are with the affordable housing rules in York?

Tony Conroy, Main Street, Riccall.