SOME weeks ago I sent a letter commenting on the ever growing number of students choosing Lancaster for their education, the basis of my writing was not only to highlight the problem of accommodation for the two and a half thousand new intakes but also to highlight the effect that the student population is having on house prices in the area. House prices in the Lancaster area's close to the university and St Martins College have now risen to such a level, that your average Lancaster man, born and brought up in Lancaster, can't afford to purchase there any more.

I was met by a number of critics, I won't mention who the critics were, because I wouldn't wish to cause undue embarrassment to anyone, you all know who you are.

For those that have missed the saga, I refer to my first letter, dated 06/09/2001 in which I claimed that the numbers of students coming to Lancaster each year, were too dramatic in size for such a small town. I was asking the question, where are all the new students going to be housed? I was met by critics who basically replied by claiming that I didn't know what I was talking about.

I wrote a second letter, in which I felt I should explain myself more simply, this was printed on 20/09/2001 along with a letter from two other critics, who voiced concern at my comments?

The following week, (27/09/2001) saw an incredulous letter, albeit short, from a man claiming to be a university student. i really don't know how to answer this man, because he didn't even realise that the second letter I submitted, was a simplified version of the first one, he appeared to think he had won a war and that I had, in some way, changed my opinion. Not so, I would still like to know where the new additions to Lancaster's population are to live. Anyone any ideas?

Lancaster University seems to be rather worried though, judging by the Citizen report on student housing becoming a problem, (Citizen page 2, 20/09/2001) they are even paying students hundreds of pounds in some cases, to move out of their rooms on the campus, to allow new students to move in. I hope they're not using tax payers money!

And to those of you who thought that house prices were going up at the same rate all over the country, I refer you to the Citizen report, page 10, 04/10/2001, (remember, my first letter went to print on 06/08/2001) In which the Halifax Building Society reveals that, in a new survey, the average cost of a home in Britain's top 25 university towns has risen by at least 18 per cent in the last four years, and, further to this, in the last year, house prices in Lancaster have risen dramatically.

I suggest that I was correct and they were incorrect, perhaps they should listen in future instead of going off on one.

I only really put pen to paper when I know what I'm talking about, you make yourself look silly otherwise!

Sean Kelly

Lancaster