How our house prices are rocketing

As a convenient yardstick, the average price increase in England and Wales was 12 per cent over the same period.

Across all parts of the Ilkley area, the semi-detached and terraced category account for 57 per cent of homes sold, and these experienced the greatest quarterly rate of price increases of 12 and eight per cent respectively. Projecting those price rises on to an annual basis, the increases run very much above the national rate.

Taking a longer view, over the four quarters ending in June, a total of 667 sales of homes in our area (LS29) were recorded. That represents about one in 20 of all homes in our area and around half the national rate of property sales.

The Land Registry's figures also provide some indicators for our local controversy about building flats in the Ilkley area. If it were thought likely that flats somehow devalue an area, the reality in west Ilkley does not support that contention.

An exceptional proportion of the Ilkley area's blocks of flats is in the west of Ilkley, and many of these have been built recently. These developments do not seem to have deterred buyers wanting to live in that area. Prices in the west of Ilkley rose by the largest amount of 14 per cent between the adjacent periods, and that is consistent with an annual rate of more than 50 per cent.

It is notable that there are few sales of flats in the Addingham-Middleton postal area of LS29 0, and that the local rate of price increase for all types of homes is less than half that of the whole area. Perhaps the large properties thereabouts are losing their attractions for Ilkley's ageing population?

Flats do continue to represent the most affordable housing in LS29, and especially in Burley, Menston and Ben Rhydding where the average price of flats came in under £70,000. It is more than ever true that the rapid rise in the price of homes reflects an acute shortage of supply and that, consequently, families with average incomes may be deterred from settling in our town.

That shortage reflects artificial planning restrictions rather than any actual shortage of space, and is very much in the interests of local property owners.

Another concern is whether householders in Burley and Menston somehow gain from being described as in the Ilkley Parish Council area? If that spilled over into some premium for their houses, that would be an interesting thought! I have produced a comparison chart (above) of the recent sales prices of the most common category of properties in our area.

The similarity of Hawksworth prices with those of Burley and Menston suggests that there may be no gain in property values from an association with Ilkley parish, whatever else may be derived from those areas being governed locally by Ilkley.

House prices have been rising at more than twice the national rates in Ilkley, Harrogate and North Leeds for more than two years. Throughout those areas, planning restrictions, supported by householders' action groups, have ensured that the supply of new local dwellings does not meet the evident demand for homes.

A true insiders' cartel has been created that has the effect of escalating prices for families wishing to set up home in these areas. Perhaps that effect is partial evidence of a critical failure in the planing system?

Andrew Dundas

2 Pines Cottages,

Parish Ghyll Drive,

Ilkley.

Research thanks

SIR, - I would like to thank your many readers who supported both Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign's fund-raising activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month last October.

Thanks to the many thousands of people who took part in Get in the Pink Days, sponsored walks, abseils and other events, or gave donations in return for a Pink Ribbon - the symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness Month - a magnificent sum of almost £3 million was raised towards vital breast cancer research.

Earlier this year, the two charities merged to form Cancer Research UK and you will be pleased to hear that this new charity will continue to dedicate October to raising the awareness of, and funds for, research into breast cancer.

Each week in the UK, nearly 700 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one in nine women in the UK will be affected by this disease at some time in their lives. Also affected are the family and friends of these women who see their loved ones go through breast cancer.

However, there is good reason to be optimistic about the future. Recovery rates are improving every year and research has shown that premature deaths from breast cancer in the UK have fallen by 22 per cent over the last decade.

But there is still a long way to go. As the largest funder of research into breast cancer than any other UK charity, Cancer Research UK will be spending more than £15 million a year as part of its commitment to finding new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating the disease.

To help them do this, Cancer Research UK hopes to raise even more this October - and this is where they need your readers' help.

Therefore, I am urging everyone to join me and take part in all kinds of fund-raising events during October.

Bring family, friends and colleagues together for Stride for Life - a series of 10km walks through 43 of the most beautiful locations around the UK and suitable for all ages and abilities. Join in with "Get in the Pink" day on Friday, October 4, and turn your office, school or anywhere PINK with pink parties, pink clothes, pink hair or pink food.

Cancer Research UK is also selling a selection of themed merchandise, including Pink Ribbons, T-Shirts and soft toy Puppies to help raise money. Use your own imagination and organise your own events and remember, every penny counts.

If you would like to find out more about these or any other ways to get involved, just call Cancer Research UK's hotline number on 08701 602040, or visit www.cancerresearch.org. If you would like more information about breast cancer, visit their cancer help website at www.cancerhelp.org.uk.

Gaynor Faye

Cancer Research UK,

16 Pavillion Business Park,

Royds Hall Road,

Leeds.

Patients lose

SIR, - Having spent many years as a patient in psychiatric institutions, I feel that I can contribute to the debate concerning the impending closure of High Royds Hospital at Menston.

Clearly, there are to be winners in the scheme, those who will be able to acquire palatial new accommodation once the hospital becomes extinct. But there are also losers, namely the patients who are to be compulsorily relocated in what may turn out to be quite unfamiliar places with a possible public stigma surrounding them as a consequence of being suddenly transplanted into new urban environments.

In fact, this is part of an issue which has been consistently kelp low on local and national political agendas.

Essentially, it is the matter of dealing with people who through no fault of their own have tragically succumbed to a mental affliction and are unlikely to recover in a short space of time. I am of the opinion that too much effort has been directed towards managing the mentally ill instead of what should have been the crucial prerequisite of understanding the mentally ill.

Clearly it is a difficult problem to solve and it is certainly not confined solely to High Royds Hospital, for the issues transcends Menston and extends throughout our entire society,

Mark Evans

St Luke's Hospital,

Middlesbrough.

Sanctuary plea

SIR, - Although summer is at its height, Farplace Animal Rescue is already having to plan ahead for winter. There are fences, gates, and doors to repair and treat with an animal-friendly preservative, and a large pig enclosure to be completed.

With more than 200 animals in our care at our two sanctuaries this takes much forethought as well as a significant amount of money.

Please send donations (payable to Farplace Animal Rescue) to Jan Edwards, Farplace Animal Rescue, Sidehead, Westgate, County Durham, DL13 1LE.

Jan Edwards

Head of Animal Care.

Collector's item

SIR, - Your edition of the Gazette dated August 8, 2002, has no mention of or letters from Mr Victor Bean or Mr Frazer Irwin. Could this be classed as a collectors item?

Charlie Cox

15, St Peter's Court,

Addingham.